A Form of Death
by BananaPeaceMonkeyKarmi
Summary: A crisis in Wutai catches Cloud's attention while he's there on a delivery. Trying to help out, he gets mixed results of success and failure. What will happen when someone swears revenge to kill his family in exchange for him killing theirs?
1. The Visitor

This is the revised edition of this chapter. I hope that it is a lot better than the previous, thanks to my beta, S.K.Evans. She really helped.

* * *

He left three days ago.

Cloud Strife was a man of . . . well . . . expressions. He said what need to be said, never really explaining. Nope, he left that up to someone else. But mostly, he said what was needed with a look. One look . . . that was all he required.

When he walked into the bar that day, he wasn't surprised to see that Seventh Heaven still had customers; it was always a very busy place. On weekdays, Tifa worked while the kids were at school, and on weekends and school holidays, she worked late at night after they've gone to bed. The only day she didn't work was Sunday. They wouldn't be getting out of school for another hour, and then fifteen minutes after that, they'd be home. In about forty-five minutes, she'd start clearing out the bar. That was her schedule. He didn't have a problem with it. It was beneficial to her, and didn't influence the kids.

When he walked in, she was very surprised. He was expecting it, because he never really came home this early. Not usually. He also didn't come up to the bar and act like a regular customer.

The blonde strolled through the door and sat down at the counter. She smiled and came right over to him, settling her elbows on the counter, her chin on her knuckles. He looked up at her, giving her a small smile.

"Hey! Why flirt with him? Why not me? I'm a real man!"

Tifa huffed and held her index finger up to Cloud, indicating that she needed a minute. He nodded and folded his hands on top of the counter, twiddling his thumbs. Looking down his right, he could see her engaged in a conversation with the drunken customer. The guy was smiling at her, eyeing her seductively. It made the warrior angry, but he didn't meddle; it would be bad for her business. Tifa shook her head, aggravating the customer. The chump grabbed her wrist rather hard, to the point where it turned red, and she tried to yank it back. Cloud got up and was behind the guy in a second. The drunk looked up at the blonde, green eyes raging. The warrior gave him a snarl, and the offender reluctantly got up, put his money on the counter, and walked out.

Cloud walked back to his seat, Tifa taking the money and fixing him a drink. She handed it to him and said, "Thank you. I could've handled it though." Her smile lessened his anger, but seeing her rub her wrist refueled it.

"But you didn't," was his reply. He took a sip and said, "Whoa. Either I'm really tired, or this is really strong." She giggled and he gave her another small smile. "Tifa? Does that happen all the time?"

She shrugged, blowing a bang out of her face. Turning around to mix a few more drinks, she said, "Sometimes. A lot of guys just stare, or even whistle. But some will go as far as touching me."

"What do you mean, 'touching'?"

"Hitting my butt or something like that."

She finished the drinks and brought them over to a booth. Cloud turned around and saw that they seemed to be a pretty civilized bunch. He nodded and went back to his own drink. As she came back to the counter, the brunette saw the way he was looking at her and said, "Oh, come on, Cloud. I _can _run this place. I take care of things, forcefully, if I have to. But _only_ if it has to come to that."

"Okay. But if I come home and you're hurt one day, I'm going to hunt the bastard down and kill him."

She only laughed.

* * *

He stayed home for two days, helping with the bar and around the house. In that time-span, Tifa found that he would be gone for two weeks, because he had a lot of deliveries on the western continent. He was taking a ferry from Junon to Costa del Sol, and continuing from there. The only thing she asked was for him to be safe and to check up on Yuffie. She hadn't called in a while and was worrying Tifa. The only thing he asked was for her to keep a clove of garlic at hand. She asked why, and all he said was "just in case."

Cloud's departure became reality three days ago. It was now Saturday, and the last of Tifa's customers had left about ten minutes past two. That left her with some quality time with laundry. Besides, she couldn't sleep. She had a colossal headache and some instinct told her to stay up. She did the laundry, sorting them into different piles. Lights, whites, darks. She tossed a pair of her t-shirts and a bunch of socks into the white pile, and had just picked up a pair of black pants belonging to Cloud when she heard the lock on the door turning and the entryway creaking open. She didn't feel alone anymore.

* * *

Cloud urged Fenrir on, trying to beat the rain. The thunderclouds were gathering overhead, making him uneasy. He could see Condor tower, and knew that he had quite a way to go when he felt the first drop of water on his nose_. Fuck_. As the wind blew it got colder. _Too cold to be normal, _he thought, hearing a voice that made his breath hitch.

He swerved to the left, stopping. He didn't hear it anymore for a minute, feeling a presence. An inhuman, eerie presence. He kicked off, heading the opposite direction he was previouly going in. Something came up speeding behind him. He felt it, cold and calm. A sudden pain shot up his left arm. When he looked down, there was a large gash. He swerved again, then regained his balance, seeing what had caused the damage. A figure danced ahead of him, its orange hair resembling flames in the rain.

_"I'm going to get her Cloud. I'm going to kill them. They will bleed and scream. Don't worry-you'll hear it. I shall drink them dry. I will get them, just like you got Shenin. Don't even try to hold me off."_

"NO!!" he shouted in the rain. Shaking his head, Cloud pushed Fenrir on, hoping he could make it back in time. _I have to make it back now. If I don't . . . no . . . The kids . . .Tifa . . .

* * *

_The brunette stared at the woman standing before her. Her fiery hair fell to her lower back, wild and wet. She had fever-red eyes that added a creepy glow to the darkened bar. The only light that was on was the one in the back room. For some reason, it seemed a lot dimmer through the curtain at that particular time. Something about this woman sent chills down Tifa's spine. It frightened her, like it would if she were a young girl. There was this supernatural, gruesome air all around.

Suddenly, the woman giggled. It was high, like that of a small girl.

"So, you must be his mate. I've seen pictures of you and your children in his wallet. I guess you're pretty. For a human anyway." Her voice was very high-pitched.

"Excuse me?" Tifa didn't know what the woman was talking about. _But she saw Cloud's wallet. Is he . . . seeing her? And what does she mean 'for a human?' _"Listen, I have no idea what-"

"You don't know what I'm talking about?" the woman interrupted, cocking her head to the side. "He didn't tell you? My, what a shame. Shenin and I shared everything. But now, we can't do that. We can't do anything together anymore." The brunette stared at her, addled. The woman stomped her foot, enraged. "That's because _he _killed him! Cloud killed my Shenin!" She brought her hands up to her chest, cradling them. "He was the only thing I had."

In that silent moment, Tifa acually felt sorry for her. What would Cloud want with her . . . mate? But then, that all changed once she started laughing. It was shrill and cynical, and it made Tifa panic-stricken. "But that's okay. I might not have my Shenin, but soon, Cloud won't have _anything_ to cherish. He left, looking for me, you know. But he shouldn't've stepped foot outside this house. There is nothing here to stop me." She laughed again.

The woman went for the stairs, but Tifa was there to stop her.

"I'm not letting you hurt those kids." She already had her gloves pulled on, ready to fight. The intruder smiled, and this alarmed Tifa even more. The barmaid threw out a punch, then another, followed by a kick. It didn't faze the intruder at all, as she just stood there. Tifa tried for another combo, and found that her skin was very pale and hard, and absorbed everything Tifa threw.

They were standing in the middle of the bar floor. Tifa was panting, trying not to show it. Seeing that the woman was still in good condition worried her. _Nothing's working. How the hell . . . ?_ She tried a round-house kick, but her leg was caught. The woman twisted her ankle, swinging her around the room. The bar hostess became dizzy and came in contact with a wall before she knew it. Tifa yelped quietly, hoping the other wouldn't hear. _I can't let her see that I'm weak. God, I hope the kids don't hear this. _The redhead sauntered up to her and bent down. Tifa got up and ran to her side, jumping, hoping to surprise her. The barmaid learned the hard way that the intruder was a fast one. She grabbed Tifa's left hand, twisting it behind her back, pushing her hard up against the wall. She repeated this twice more, and each time, Tifa felt something snap. All at once, she felt this excruciating pain build up inside her. Holding that hand behind the barmaid's back, the attacker pushed her once more, snapping even more bones.

The visitor leaned forward to hear Tifa's labored breathing. "What broke, hmm? A couple of ribs maybe? That's what I think."

She turned swiftly and suddenly, flinging Tifa to the other side of the room. The martial artist hit the wall, breaking more of the skeletal region inside her chest, and the attacker was there to watch her fall. She lay there on the ground for a minute, trying to recover her breath, and then attempted the action of getting up. It was in vain; the woman already had her to her feet, holding her by the neck. The attacker pulled back a hand and scraped it across Tifa's face. Her head snapped to the side from the impact, and four thin lines appeared on her cheek. Blood oozed from them.

The woman put her hand under the Tifa's chin and made her look up. Her attacker laughed evilly as she had done before.

"Do you not realize what I am yet? Maybe this will give you a hint."

She leaned in, sniffing Tifa's blood. "Mmm . . . don't you smell delicious." The bar hostess gagged, feeling the need to throw up. She couldn't though, for it would make her appear weak. _What's the point?_ The woman took another sniff, and then licked some of the blood from Tifa's face. She then took her hand and swiped it along her chest and abdomen. The barmaid gasped. Tifa slid slowly down the wall when the attacker let her go, blood trailing as she went. She coughed up blood, holding herself with her arms wrapped firmly around her middle, retching all over the floor beside her. The assailant was there to see it all. Tifa shuddered, not remembering the last time she had felt so much pain. When she looked up into the eyes of the woman, she realized exactly why she couldn't beat her.

She was a vampire.

* * *


	2. Ultimatum: Her or the kids?

Hiyas!! Okay, first things first. I was going to include all of the stuff that is in Chapter 2 into Chapter 1, but I decided to leave it as it was. Besides, we all love cliffies, right? Well, I don't!

An another thing: the reason why this fic is rated M pretty much is coming up so, yeah. Prepare yourselves!

Anywho . . .

Also, this is a re-revised version or this chapter. My beta lended me her opinion. Thanx Evans!

* * *

Cloud sped around the corner, accelarating down the alley. He checked his watch. _3:21._ _What of it's too late? What if she'd dead? Or worse . . ._ He finally got to the bar in what seemed like an eternity. Rushing, he hopped off Fenrir, and raced to the door. _That bitch stole my key. Come on door. Be open. Please be open. Please._ He turned the knob and opened the door, taking out a sword. His blue eyes got bigger at what he saw.

Sight brought him horror. Immediately, he saw Tifa, but she wasn't holding up very well. She was slumped against the far wall, bleeding from her face and torso. There was blood on the above, bile in the floor, and the attacker was kneeling down in front of her. It didn't take him very long to pull himself together.

"Leave her alone," he growled. "She has nothing to do with any of this."

The vampiress laughed.

"Is that why you told her absolutely nothing? _If_ you had said _something _to her, she would've been a little more prepared. Oh well. She still couldn't have beaten me." She took a finger and slid it down Tifa's arm slowly. The barmaid only winced, and Cloud became proud of his friend. Even hurt as she was, Tifa wasn't about to yell. At this, the vampiress growled. She snarled, "This girl hasn't really screamed or anything this whole time. It's starting to irritate me. Hmm . . . Maybe I should bite her." That's what scared Cloud the most. He went rigid and his grip on the blade in his hand got tighter. The assailant just shrugged and exclaimed, "I know!"

The vamp grabbed Tifa's neck, and he thought that she was going it snap it, killing the barmaid instantly. He raised his sword and charged, swinging. The violent visitor snickered loudly, and flung Tifa to the opposite wall. Before the barmaid reached the ground, corrupt broad had her firmly by the neck once more. Cloud turned to face them, heaving with rage. The enraged woman lifted the brunette up to the point where she was dangling above the floor against the wall, and Tifa's hands slowly reached up to her's, trying to pull them off. The problem was that she was weak and couldn't do a damned thing. Cloud took a step, but the inhuman female shook her head. "_Tch tch,_ Cloud. You've already tried your foray on me once. What happened to the hostage rule? Do the wrong thing, and they get hurt or killed?" The vampiress pulled back a hand, and then thrust it forward. It went straight into Tifa's abdomen. She gasped, then yelped, and blood fell from her mouth. Cloud stared in terror.

"What have you done to her?!"

"I would strongly advise you to not move again, Strife. If you do, I'll rip it right out."

Tifa's eyes widened, and she looked at Cloud. He glanced back and then she creid out again. Her head slumped once more, and she tried gasping for air. The vamp was no longer holding her by the neck. He didn't know what tifa was being held by. To him, it looked like her insides, but the wall was supporting her.

And Cloud couldn't do a thing.

"What are you doing to her, Sheilia?"

Sheilia shrugged and Tifa screamed again. "That's all I wanted was for you to scream," she cooed at Tifa. "It would've made me happy earlier, but this will do." Sheilia turned her head to Cloud, smiling nastily. "Now, Cloud, you should know about the human anatomy, right? Well, what is the very important organ that lies in the abdomen? I'll give you a hint. It helps you eat and digest."

His eyes widened. "Her . . . stomach . . .," he whispered.

"Exactly. See, all I'm doing is applying a little pressure to her stomach-" Tifa interrupted her, squealing, "and she screams! Isn't that delightful?!"

_This vamp has a very cynical sense of humor,_ Tifa thought to herself.

Sheilia turned to the bar hostess and asked, "Now, why wouldn't you yell for me earlier?"

"Because," the barmaid choked, "I . . . wouldn't scream for . . . people . . . like you." Each word hurt like hell. She coughed, sputtering blood, and spit it into Sheilia's face. The attacker only laughed, and Tifa's cries came once more.

Cloud looked on in agony. _If I move, Tifa's going to die. If I stand here and do nothing, she's still probably going to die. I've got to do something, and do it now, while Teef's whole. Damn!_

That's when the vamp spoke again.

"Okay Cloudie boy, I'll give you an ultimatum. It might be hard for you, but I find it very simple."

He didn't even want to think about what she was planning.

"Pick one: your pearl here, or the kids upstairs? Who do you want to live?" She glanced at the brunette and added, "Well, live longer in her case."

Cloud didn't answer right away, so she asked, "Do you care for this girl?"

Cloud thought for a minute. _If I say yes, she'll kill Tifa for sure. If I say no, she might have a chance. Fuck. I hate trick questions. _"No. You've got the wrong girl. I just live with her for the kids' sake." He caught the barmaid's look of despair, and he shook his head. She nodded, wincing, her head slumping again.

The vampiress blinked. "Oh. Well. That changes a lot. Too bad though. I get a two-in-one deal. You get nothing."

Everything happened in a blur. Sheilia removed her hand from Tifa rather quickly. With it, was a pinkish-purply mass. It was wet, and had yellowy liquids oozing from it. When they hit the floor, there was a sizzling sound, and then a hole. What he saw was accompanied by a sound that would never leave his memory-Tifa's blood curdling shriek. She fell to the floor, holding herself around what was left of her middle, curling up into a ball. She stopped screaming, and Cloud suddenly found himself in front of Sheilia, sword down. Sheilia screeched in pain and glared at Cloud, her bright red eyes burning deep in his soul. It hadn't been another minute before she was gone. He let her go; there was something else he had to tend to.

As soon as she was gone, Cloud could hear Tifa sobbing. He ran over to her, dropping his weapon. Her body was shaking, and he picked her up gently. She yelled again, and he held her loosely.

"Tifa," he whispered, "it's me. It's Cloud. It'll be alright. I won't let you die. I promise." He saw the gaping hole in her body and his eyes watered, but he blinked the tears away.

He was on his knees, and she was propped against his arm. She cried into his chest, and then they became desperate sobs and gasps for air. It didn't take much for him to realize exactly what was happening:

Tifa was dying.

He reached cautiously to the right of him, and wrapped one gloved hand around the tissue mass tenderly. He could feel the acidic juices start to burn through his glove. He shifted her a little, to adjust, and she yelped, grasping his shirt harder. She was shaking and bleeding so bad, and he didn't think that he could save her. As he thought, he suddenly felt something on his cheek. It was her hand, already so cold, yet small and delicate like her body was now. Like it always was. When he looked at her, her face was stricken with tears. He noticed something wet and clear fall off of his nose, but ignored it.

"Cloud," she said. He had to strain to hear Tifa, for her voice was barely a murmur. "Please . . . it hurts . . . so bad." Tifa coughed, blood spraying from her mouth. It stained his shirt and merged with that on her left cheek. "Don't . . . don't let me . . .I don't want . . . to . . . die. Please . . . Cloud. I want . . . to stay with . . . with you. With . . . the kids . . . please." She coughed again.

_I have to save her. . . Maybe I could put it back._ "

It'll be okay Tifa. I promise it will. I won't let you die."

Her body racked with another sob, and the gasps for air became more frequent. She was dying fast, and he knew it. He took her digestive organ and placed it carefully back where it belonged. She cringed, then yelped, her nails scraping Cloud's cheek. He winced, surprised at how much strength she still had. _It must be from all that pain._ He reached into his back pocket, and pulled out a very small vial. It held a red liquid in it. He uncorked it, saying, "This is going to sting. Okay?" Cloud's voice was soothing. Her eyes were closed, and he thought that she was gone. A very small nod proved him wrong. One hand was still on his cheek, the other clasping his shirt. He tipped the vial, and a drop fell from her abdomen through the wound. She screamed one final time, her hand falling from his face unto the floor.

* * *

Whoo hoo! End of Chp 2!! Be happy, because there was another one of those cliffies that you all love so so much! I really appreciate you guys being pacient with me. I hope you like this chp!!

So, will Tifa die? Find out it the next Chp of:

Vampiress Rage! By BananaPeaceMonkey.

And don't expect another update to be soon. I have to start writing the third chp!!

Toodles!!


	3. Awakening

HHHEEEELLLLLOOOOO!!

How are you guys?! I really hoped you liked the previous chapter. I don't think I'll be able to update too soon. For one thing, I'm sick (I think it's strep) and I have FCAT for all of the next week. Then I have to stay after school late, because I'm the manager of the boy's track team (which is so awesome because half of the team have their shirts off half the time. Then I feel bad because I have a boyfriend, but he's on the team, too!)

Please enjoy!

* * *

He watched her suffer and then scream again, fainting. She wasn't dead. Werewolf blood wouldn't kill you, just heal you-thank God. But she was unconscience, and he didn't know how long she would be that way. Almost as soon as the blood hit her stomach, he saw the tissue begin to seal itself in. Everything would be ordered and ready to go in a way. She probably wouldn't be able to digest for the next month. Then again, she could still die if he left her bleeding the way she was. Looking around, he saw that there were splatters of blood in different places around the bar. He sighed and picked her up, placing her gently on the couch. From a nearby cabinet, he got bandages and ointments to fix up all her wounds. As he did so, Cloud briefly remembered his own cut. He bandaged himself when he was done with Tifa. She lay there on the sofa, asleep but not asleep, recovering, and he watched her for a soundless minute.

_I knew what she was trying to do. I know all she wanted to do was protect the kids, and I should've been here to help. To protect her._ He shook his head. _Damn! I'm so stupid! Always getting other people fucked up because of my dumb decisions. _He turned away and began cleaning up around the bar and living room. A few times, he would hear her moan or shift, and his head would snap up in response. She would still be there, quiet on the sofa. It took him a couple of hours to get the stench out and straighten up. When he was done he looked around, sighing from mental and physical exhaustion.

Just as he walked over to pick Tifa up and take her to her room, he heard shuffling noises. Right in front of the sofa, he stopped. Bending down, he picked up his blade, waiting. Within the next five mintues, he was being hugged and questioned by a seven- and ten-year-old.

"What happened?"

"Is Tifa okay?"

"She won't die, will she?"

"Cloud, what happened?"

He bent and sat down in front of the sofa. When he put down his blade, they climbed on him and started their questions again. "Hey." They were quiet, which was a good thing. He couldn't say much right now. Cloud's voice was quieter than he anticipated, so he cleared it and said, "Tifa'll be alright. She just really needs to rest right now." He glanced back at the sofa and added, "She needs _a lot _of rest." They continued to look at him with big brown and blue pleading eyes. "I won't let her die, okay?"

They nodded and decided to curl up in him. Within moments, they were asleep. He didn't want to move in the event of waking them, so he soon fell asleep, too.

* * *

A certain brunette woke up to pain. She didn't yelp, because the sight of her family in front of her helped to ease the pain a little. She smiled to her best extent, and then darkness took over her mind once more. For how long, she didn't know.

* * *

Tifa didn't wake up for four days.

After coming out of his slumber that night, Cloud saw that the kids had already done what he meant to do. They spread blankets over Tifa's body, including one over his own. He didn't see them downstairs, so he thought they must be in bed. He sighed, bent his neck to the side to crack it, remembering everything that had happened. Like it just came crashing down. Either that, or the smell of bleach reminded him.

He turned around sharply to face Tifa's sleeping form. One hand was draped across her abdomen, and the other had fell over the side of the sofa. He slid his hand under hers, gently, and she didn't even flinch. He sighed for the zillionth time that night, standing. Taking a minute to look at her, he picked her up and carried her off to her room. He could feel her soft, raspy breathing ruffle his shirt as he held her to his body.

When he got to her room, he was thankful that the door was open. He kicked it to widen the space a little more and walked over to her bed. The warrior placed her body on the far end. That way, she was in no danger of falling, since her bed was against the wall. After a while, he decided to sleep in the bed with her. For one thing, her barely moved when he slept, and . . . he would be closer to her. That thought struck him first. He stripped down to his briefs and undershirt, went to his room for a pair of holey pajama pants, and put them on. Cloud went back to her room and saw that she hadn't stirred. He was really afriad that she had died. When he could hear her labored breathing, he knew that she hadn't. Seeing that he had changed his own clothes, he thought he should change hers, too. After all, she needed it more than he did. The only thing that disturbed him was seeing her . . . naked. He shook it from his mind, proceeding with the task. When she was down to just her bra and panties, he thought, _Oh what the hell. Her bra's already torn anyway. _This was true. The vamp's nails had raked right through it. He removed it and tried his best not to stare at her lush, full breasts. It was _very_ hard. So he blinked, and removed her panties. Then he went over to a drawer and pulled out a new pair. When he had those on (which was very hard to do thanks to his state of mind), he covered her and went back to his room. Figuring that one of his t-shirts would be better, he got one. They were a lot more loose than hers, which he could see after putting it on her. When she was safely covered, he sighed. Beads of sweat had had risen on his forehead and arms, and it wasn't from the room's temperature. Climbing into the bed, he took her hand and fell asleep.

And for the next four days, she did not wake.

* * *

Cloud was downstairs washing the dishes. Denzel was at a booth with Marlene, helping her with homework. It was really quiet, save for their occasional whispering. A few times, they glanced up at Cloud, and he saw them. He was starting to wonder if they were really doing homework. And he didn't have to wait very long to recieve his answer.

In an instant, they had jumped down and declared that they were done. The kids rushed passed him and up the stairs. Cloud finished drying a cup and yelled up behind them, "Don't make too much noise. Tifa's still sleeping!" Of course, they probably didn't hear him. He shook his head and went back over to the sink, where about three plates were waiting for their baths. "Yeah, I'm coming," he grumbled, and set out to work.

About five minutes, a soaked shirt and ten raisin fingers later, he was done. _Thank God. I hate dishes. I'm going to start buying plastic cups, plates, and silverware._ He thought about that for a minute. _Well, then it'd be plasticware. Cloud_ found that amusing, which was soon rushed away by his next thought. _Damn. Then there'd be more trash to take out. I just can't win. _Another minute went by. Within it were the kids, jumping up and down in front of him.

"Tifa's up!" They shouted. "Tifa's up!"

Cloud's grip in the plate he was drying loosened. It fell to the floor with a clatter. He didn't care. Rushing up the stairs, he ran down to Tifa's door, pushing it open. There she was, lying on the bed . . . asleep. Asleep in the same slumber she had been in the past four days. He turned to the kids, not glaring, but telling them with his eyes that he needed an explanation.

Marlene was the first to their defense.

"She was. We swear, Tifa was up."

"She didn't really say anything at first." Denzel was shuffling his feet. Cloud knew that he did it the out of nervousness. "See, we came upstairs to check up on her. We wanted to help, like you. When we got up here, she was still asleep. Marlene and I waited for a minute, and then heard something go _hi."_ He looked up at Cloud, straight in the eye. "We barely heard it, so we thought we were imagining things. Then Tifa opened her eyes, and said it again. We were really happy, and then she said that she wanted to talk to you."

"Honest," Marlene added.

The blonde nodded. He believed them. He was just slightly agitated that they got to talk to her before he did. Why was Cloud troubled by this childish matter? He did not know; he just was. That bothered him slightly. What also bothered him was that she wanted to talk to him. He knew exactly what she wanted, too.

She wanted to know why he left.

She wanted to know why he just _had_ to go after a vampire.

She also wanted to know why he didn't, couldn't, or wouldn't tell her.

"You two go back downstairs and finish your homework. If you're done, you can watch tv." They ran down the ascenders as he took a step into her room. It always smelled nice in here. Almost like . . . honey and milk. That's exactly what she smelled like. He walked over to the bed and sat down. He remembered waking up after changing her clothes. His hand still being enclosed around hers. He shuddered, recalling how marvelled he had been at her naked body. Cloud knew how disrespectful he felt-and how disrespected she _would_ feel-if he had been staring. The clothes he put on her were the ones she continued to wear to this day-one of his t-shirts, and her panties. A bra would hurt whenever she woke.

He took her hand and rubbed his thumb across her knuckles softly. They were still slightly bruised. The warrior sighed and leaned his head back on the headboard. About three minutes had passed when he felt a very light, weak pressure on his hand. He looked down with one eye.In that instant, Cloud was staring into a wine-colored abyss. He couldn't say anything; his mouth was temporarily out-of-order.

A weak, almost pained whisper brought him back down to Earth. "Hi . . . Cloud."

* * *

Chapter Three!! This revised edition is a lot more comprehensive, huh?

I know it wasn't much to be waiting for, but you just had all of that action. Toning it down was the best thing I could've done.

Any suggestions for me for the next chapter? I'm kind of stuck a little. I have a general idea of what's going to happen, but I need some more . . . stuff to put in.

Hope you enjoyed it!


	4. Regretful Lies

HHHEEEELLLLLOOOOO ONCE AGAIN!!

How are you all doing? Sorry for not updating in so long, but I've been really busy with school and . . .well . . . life in general.

But then again, who's not these days?

* * *

He looked on at her, eyes full of hope and wonder. Now he had proof that she would live if she didn't push herself. He also wondered how she felt at the moment. She'd be in a lot of pain probably. But when Tifa finally realized that she wasn't wearing her regular clothes, she might be angry. Cloud really hoped not. He held her hand a little tighter and felt that same wetness in his eyes that he had felt when he came back. That wetness he felt when he saw her hurt and . . . not-whole. He remembered the way he felt when he held her. And, just like that night, he blinked the wetness away.

"T-Tifa?" he asked quietly.

He couldn't move. He could hardly talk. Hell, he could barely breathe. She was just so beautiful, but so . . . broken. On her bed, scarcely able to move . . . able to breathe. Any action-such as the systematic rising and falling of her chest-would hurt her.

She winced and asked, "Cloud . . . how a . .re you?"

He didn't answer right away. For one, he thought that he should be the one asking her that question. Maybe . . . maybe she just wanted to know what had been going on. Shit, if he had been unconscious for four days, he'd want to know, too. The thing was, not much had been happening. Cloud told her that there were just as many customers in the bar as usual. They had asked about her, and all he said was that she was trying to recover. When they asked what from, he didn't answer. He didn't blame them for being concerned. She was a way better bartender than he was on three accounts:

1.She was a lot faster.

2.She could help people with their problems, which Cloud learned was half the job. He decided to rule this out while _he _was there. They really didn't want his advice.

3. She was attractive. Cloud guessed that he was as well, but didn't appeal to most men. He didn't want to. And whatever man he did appeal to, _didn't_ appeal to him.

She was quiet for a moment when he was done. Neither one of them spoke for a little while. He leaned his head on the board again and sighed. "Tifa?" When he opened one eye to look at her, she was staring intently up at him. "How do you feel?"

She smiled and said, "Like . . . crap." He chuckled and her smile got wider. He missed her laugh, but knew she couldn't right now. Feeling a light pressure on his hand, he stopped and looked down. "Cloud, how bad . . . am I?" Her breath becamed shuddery, and she coughed several times. Cloud rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb. When she was done, she breathed raspy breaths, staring wide-eyed at the ceiling.

He squeezed her hand and Tifa winced, trying to smile. Instead, she just decided to close her eyes. He made up his mind to tell her the damage. "Well, you've got seven broken ribs. Another nine, I think, are fractured." The corners of her beautiful mouth turned when she heard that. "Then you lost a lot of blood. And I don't think you'll be able to-"

He was cut off by a gagging noise. Shortly after hearing it, Tifa bent over and threw up all over him. None of it got on the bed, just him. Out of instinct, he jumped up, but by that time, she was already done. The barmaid looked up at Cloud worryingly. "Cloud! I'm . . . I'm so sor . . . sorry." She looked as if she were on the brink of crying.

He gave her his most reassuring smile. "It's alright Teef. I kind of knew this was going to happen. It's your stomach. It has to get used to being back in your body." He thought about that for a minute and shrugged. "Well, that's the most reasonable explanation I can give to you. So it has to start over and empty itself out. Don't worry; I'm not mad."

"I'm still . . . sorry. This is . . . the worst way for me to . . . repay you." Her voice was so quiet and hoarse.

He shook his head. "It's okay Tifa. It really is."

As he walked out to change, he heard her ask, "What happened to my clothes?" All he did was smile at her and leave.

* * *

When he came back in the room later that day, she was asleep. He had changed into some blue pajama pants and a matching shirt. They had stars on them. Stars or not, though, he still liked them. The kids bought them for his birthday, so he wore them. Speaking of which, they were in Tifa's room, sitting on the bed next to her. When he came in, they got off of the bed and asked him if they could stay. He said they could as long as they were quiet.

Cloud made his way downstairs and looked around. Everything was in order. But even though it gave the impression of being a nice, quiet bar, it wasn't. It hadn't been _that_ night. Images ran through his head the minute he began thinking about it. He leaned against the wall and held his cranium.

If only he hadn't gone after Shenin and Sheilia. If only he had just left them alone . . .

Then every child in Wutai would probably be dead right now.

He couldn't take it when he first heard about the child-killing vampires. To hear what they had been doing . . . it was appaling. And even though Cloud wasn't one to socialize, he went to the parents of the kidnapped children to hear their story. Each one was the same: hysterical sobbing, parents who were extremely emotional.

_"They came at night."_

_"To have seen them . . . was the most frightening thing."_

_"Their teeth were dripping with blood, and their eyes were the same color as what they drank."_

_"They took my child, my sweet, precious baby, and left."_

_"During the day after, all we heard were shrill, ear-splitting screams."_

_"We knew . . . we knew that they were from our child."_

_"The thing we loved the most. . . was gone."_

_"We never saw them again."_

Cloud could empathize. He thought about it when he first heard. Putting himself in their shoes, it only made him angry. How they preyed on small children, the innocent people in the world, their only reason being for blood. Then again, a child's blood is said to be the purest on the planet. That gave them no right. So, immensly angry, he set out to kill them. The only problem was, he only killed Shenin, and came back home badly injured. He remembered the way Tifa looked when he came in.

_"Cloud! Cloud! What happened to you?!"_

He couldn't respond to her. Whenver he opened his mouth, blood spilled from it. So she took him upstairs and had taken care of him. She even closed the bar for a few days.

Then he remembered lying to her. He said that he'd gotten in a motorcycle accident. That had to have been the stupidest thing to do, because Cloud would _never_ get into an accident. He said it so himself one day. But it was the first thing that came to mind. The fact that he had used Fenrir in the fight with him was good, because it had a few scratches and dents on it. So she bought it-somewhat. But Tifa didn't bother him, and minded her own business.

Now his lie had come back to haunt him, tenfold.

Only this time, Tifa was the one who paid for it.

* * *

So, do you guys think this was a good chapter?

I know. It sucked. But I'm writing more, don't fret. I just didn't have anything to put in. No one really gave me suggestions. No one except for Common Cold and A Forgotten Fairy . . AKA Fairy.

And don't worry. I'll put them in the next chapter.

I really hope you guys like it?


	5. Changing

I know the last chapter kind of sucked, but I hope you will like this one. Don't worry; I'm trying my best to satisfy my readers.  
If there is something that you would like for me to do, then review or PM me. I want to know what makes you guys happy, so I can put it in this here story.  
And thanx so much to Monkey0Kid for an idea. I loved it just as you love Cloud's PJs!

* * *

Cloud decided to close the bar for the next few weeks as Tifa recovered. His full attention was devoted to her and the kids. Most of the time she slept, so Cloud would play with Marlene and Denzel. When she was up, she was either talking to the kids or Cloud. When the two of them talked, neither one brought up the incident. Of, course, they thought about it, for her injuries were a constant reminder. But they never said a word of it. And their conversations weren't like most. Their main topic was the kids, and even though Cloud did most of the talking, he didn't do _much._ Tifa _would _talk, but the problem was that it was hard to do so at first. In the silence, their thoughts would wander to what happened that night. Tifa would think about the reason why Cloud was being confronted and why her and the kids' lives were threatened.Cloud would think about if she were mad at him, and what would've happened if he had been even later than he had.

One day, she finally summoned the courage to ask him, "Cloud, what exactly befell my clothes?" Tifa was surprised that she had enough breathe to say it all.

Before she asked, he had been drinking hot tea. She had been doing the same. Her stomach was still in its 'getting used to' stage. Last week, he tried some chicken broth with her. Within a minute, it ended up on his shirt, _after_ Tifa had downed it. Tears started to flow from her eyes for two reasons :

1. This was the second time this had happened and she still thought that it was rude and disrespectful.

2. Throwing up hurt like shit.

Of course, he tried to reassure her that it was okay; that he wasn't mad. So, they waited another week to try something else. Yesterday was the day where the chicken broth stayed in her stomach. So the only things she could consume were liquids. And when she asked him that question, _he _was the one who nearly gagged.

It took him a while to find the right words to say. Even when he had located them, stuttering was hard to avoid. What didn't help were the constant images of her nakedness. "Well, they were . . . soaked in blood, and I knew . . . knew you didn't want to sleep that way." He scratched the back of his head and continued to look at her hands in his lap. "So I had to . . . undress you."

Her face went from pale to crimson immediately. She became instantly embarrassed from the fact that he had seen her nude. "So you . . . removed my bra?" She saw him nod, evading her wine-colored orbs. "Even my . . . panties?" He nodded again, turning away from her. His face was slowly turning a steady ruby color. "Oh," was all she could say. "So you saw me _completely _naked?" He sighed and nodded once more, never uttering a word. She was amazed at how uncomfortable he was about the situation. And if he was uncomfartable, he couldn't imagine how _she _felt. "Did you . . . um . . . did you . . . stare?"

He jumped up in defense of himself. "No! No, Tifa, I-I didn't stare. I j-just . . . just took off your . . . well . . .," he was fumbling with his words again, like he normally does when he had to explain something extreme. "Teef, I had to. Your clothes were soaked in blood. I had to take all of them off. The only problem was . . .," he wanted to say, _The only problem was that I couldn't think and you were just so damn sexy and hard not to look at--even when scarred--and if you weren't hurt, I probably would've lost control of my sanity, _but instead said, "I couldn't get the blood out. So I-I burned them. Please don't be angry."

She tried to laugh, but ended up coughing instead. Tifa was now in something of a sitting up position, so Cloud could hold her. He sat down on the bed next to her and did just that, holding her hand in his lap. Her other hand reached up and brushed lightly on his cheek. Sitting up wasn't that bad, since her wounds were pretty much healed. The only thing that concerned him was her stomach. "I'm not mad Cloud. You were just worried about me, that's all. I really . . . appreciate . . ." Her words were lost in his cerulean gaze. His lips had gotten so much closer to hers, and she had somehow decided to close her eyes. And just when she expected to feel his warm, inviting lips on hers--

"Cloud!"

--the kids called him.

In an instant, Cloud jumped up. Tifa was still in his arms, and she toppled over. In the event of trying to catch her he fell--or rolled--off of the bed. She was halfway off, and onto him, her legs slowly sliding. The kids walked by to see what had happened, opening the door. Her face was flushed, as was his, when they walked in. The two children couldn't help it, so they started cracking up. After a minute, the two adults joined them.

"All we wanted was to see where you were," Denzel laughed.

"Yeah," Marlene added. "SpongeBob is starting soon. Can we watch it in here?"

Cloud nodded. "Yeah, in a minute. I'll call you." They left and he got himself and Tifa up. Heaving her bridal style, she gasped and he placed her on the bed. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

She shook her head. "Not really. I feel a little dizzy, but that's about it."

"Not nauscous?"

"No. I'm fine." Tifa chewed on her lip for a little bit, and her face turned the color of an apple. "Um . . .Cloud?" He looked at her and she said, "Couldyouchangemyclothes?" She said it so fast that he barely heard it, but it got it.

"You sure you want me to?"

"Well, you can hand me some clothes, and I could try myself."

He shrugged. "Sure. Hold on." He found her a new pair of panties and went to his room for a another T-shirt. He didn't need to change his clothes, because he had washed them all. He even had on the pajamas that Marlene and Denzel had bought him. Yep, the blue ones with the stars.

When he went back to Tifa's room, she was trying to pull up the new pair of panties. It was hard for three reasons. It was hard for her. The other shirt was still on her body with the fact that the barmaid didn't want to show too much. If that wasn't enough to slow her down, the proof that she was lying down should be.

Cloud turned around, clutching the T-shirt tightly in his hand. Sweat was starting to form on his forehead again, and he noticed the growing lump in his pants. The warrior took long, steady breaths, and stared at a picture on the wall. It was a 'family portrait' done by Marlene and Denzel with the two of them, Cloud, and Tifa. Soon, the lump was non-existant. He heard the rustling of covers and such behind him and, for once, wish she weren't so damn attractive.

Well, for her sake and his sanity.

"Cloud, could you throw the shirt behind you please?"

He nodded and did so. When she told him that he could turn around, he did it slowly. The t-shirt was only half-way down, exposing her stomach and red bikini panties. Immediately, his blue gaze drifted over her scars. He felt so bad, walking over to help her, seeing that she couldn't do it alone. Helping her tug the shirt down, his hand brushed over something small, round, and hard on one side of her chest. Tifa shuddered and grabbed his hand. He looked up, meeting the hazy, passionate stare in her burgundy eyes with his own. They looked on for a while, and the only thing that stopped them were the kids.

"Can we watch SpongeBob now?"

Cloud shook his head, standing up. "Yeah. Yeah. I was just helping Tifa." The kids climbed onto the foot end of the bed, turning on the tv. Cloud went to the head of the bed, and held Tifa close to him. He nuzzled his nose into her hair, and she snuggled into his chest. As the theme song played, Cloud whistled along.

* * *

Yes, I know. Short, sexy, and comedic.  
I'm BananaPeaceMonkey. What can I say?  
As you can also see, I'm stalling. It's purposeful, just to make my audience tingle with anticipation.  
Is it working?


	6. Cravings

Hiyas!! Yes, the sixth chapter of 'A Vampiress's Rage' has finally been posted!!  
YAY!!  
BTW, if you've read my one-shot 'Scarf Snow' then you know I was kidding in my Author's Note, right?

* * *

Tifa watched television with the kids while Cloud took out the trash. She began to think about how much time he was starting to spend with her. He just . . . felt bad about her being hurt and all. Maybe that was the explanation. The problem was that the bar hostess didn't want to believe that. In fact, something in the back of her mind told her to not believe it. Maybe it was just her feelings not wanting to let go. _I think I've become too attached. Cloud saved me, but he would do that any day, right? He changed me . . . I was completely embarrassed by that at first. But, he thought I'd be uncomfortable in those clothes. I know I would've been. He's been sleeping in bed with me . . . That's only to make sure I'm okay. Besides, if he slept on the floor, then I would feel bad. Oh, Tifa! Quit making up excuses! Maybe, just maybe, Cloud does care more than I thought . . ._

It had been about six weeks since she'd been in bed. Not really because of her injuries--those healed about three weeks ago. The warrior was basically worried about her stomach. He didn't want her moving around too much, just in case she began to feel nauseous or something. Tifa sure didn't want to retch anymore. Doing it was an action all in its own, hurting like hell. Adding that to the fact that it ended up on Cloud most of the time just made her sad and upset. She really did think it was rude, especially since he'd been helping her out. It was an exceptionally bad way to repay him.

The kids had her watching 'Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends' now. The maiden found it very entertaining. One character in particular was the 'Bloo' person. He was an imaginary friend that was put into the home a while ago. Tifa thought he was the type of person--or thing--that scammed to get what he wanted, which wasn't all false. She laughed at him and his creator, Mack, as they watched the weather channel. One line that stuck out to her was:

"It is _hot_ in _To-pe-ka._"

She, along with the kids, thought it was hilarious. The barmaid joined them in their bout of verbal merriment, then looked at the door. No one was coming, but she thought it'd be a good idea to get up and do something. The first thing on her mind was to take a shower. Sure, Cloud had been washing her up a little, getting most of her body, but he didn't dare touch her in her most . . . sensitive regions. She didn't blame him. A nagging feeling in the back of her mind wanted him to, but her better sense told her that it was bad idea. A _very _bad idea.

Tifa sat up straighter, swinging her legs over the side of the bed after she'd gotten the covers off. Marlene and Denzel watched her for a minute, then rushed up to her when they saw she was trying to stand.

"You should sit back down," the girl told her. "We don't want you to get hurt."

"Yeah. Cloud would get mad if he knew that we let you go anywhere."

The woman smiled at both of them. "He's just a worry-wart. Don't think about me, okay? Stay in here and watch tv. I'm just going to take a quick shower. Is that alright with you?" They nodded. As she headed out of the door, she said, "Don't tell him!"

Once outside in the hall, she leaned against the wall for a moment. _It's been so long since I've used my legs. Gosh, I've got to get back used to this. _Sighing, Tifa made her way to the linen closet for a wash-cloth and towel. Within the next ten minutes, she had the shower going, the water serving its full purpose.

About twenty-five minutes later, Cloud was walking down the darkened hall. The sun had just set, so there wasn't much lighting. He chose not to turn on the lights. They still weren't as sufficient as they could be. _It's only been two years, Cloud. Give them time to set things back up the right way. _

Two years.

Two years since the second coming of Sephiroth. Two years since he lost her.

The flower girl.

Aerith.

He thought about that for a brief minute. Yes, he loved her. He loved her so much. Just not the way others thought he did. Cloud held a type of affection for Aerith that was sisterly, not for a paramour. Losing her . . . took a big toll on him. But, he thought, losing her was probably also one of the best things that has ever happened to him. When Aerith died, that block in his mind opened up. He finally realized exactly what and who he was--with a little of Tifa's help of course. But if the chestnut-haired girl had never died, Cloud would've never been true to himself. Sure, Tifa had been playing along with it, but that didn't really mean much. All it meant was that she would eventually get tired of it and crack, telling him that he wasn't what he thought. Cloud, being the air head that he was at the time, wouldn't have believed her. It was his life-long dream to be a SOLDIER. He finally was, and now his best friend was telling him it wasn't true? Cloud probably would've told her that she was jealous. In some instances, Cloud was glad Aerith was dead. It helped him recognize his true self and purpose.

He just wishes that it didn't hurt so much.

As he made his way further down the hall, he heard the sound of water going. He stopped to listen to it better, seeing that it was coming from Tifa's bathroom. The warrior walked up to the door, taping it lightly. He heard nothing but the shower. He tapped a little harder, this time speaking with it. "Teef?" This time, there was no other noise. The water was cut off suddenly, followed by a dull _thud _and a yelp. He rushed in. "Tifa?" His ears caught the sound of harsh breathing. He opened the curtain without thinking.

There was his best friend, spread across the floor of the shower. Her legs were partially up to her chest, but not enough to where he couldn't see it. Her thighs were together, but her feet were wide apart. The barmaid's disheveled, wet hair fell loosely down in front of her chest to some extent, but most of it was strewn on the wall above her. It looked as if she had slid down the wall.

The blonde stared at her. Her nudity while changing her clothes was something all in its own, but this . . . this was an effort. Even though he knew it was wrong, he just couldn't help himself. The steam in the bathroom from the hot water helped to add a priceless glow on her skin. The moisture aided in her beauty. It wasn't long before she finally noticed he was there. She raised her head slowly. When her eyes met his, the latter's gaze held that hazy appearance to them again. It alarmed the woman, but did not frighten her. She sighed, covering her breasts with her hands and arms, trying to stand. He shook his head, grabbing a firm, but gentle, hold on her arms. As soon as he got her on her feet, he turned around and handed her the towel. He felt her take it from his hands, and refused to turn around. He mentally scolded himself for doing that to her. For staring. It was stupid. _Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!_

Tifa chewed on her lower lip for a brief moment. She looked down at herself. The scar on her stomach was somewhat lighter then the rest of her body. It was one of the only large blemishes she had, besides the one from Sephiroth at Nibelhiem. The barmaid knew she was pretty. She _knew _she was beautiful, but she didn't know if he did. Now, she had proof that Cloud recognized her as a woman and not just his friend. So, she decided to act on it. _It might be the only chance I get. _

"Cloud." The small summoning stirred so many things inside of him. Even though it was just a whisper, in his head, it was a siren. It told him so many things that needed to happen. Things that should happen, things he wanted to happen, things that should've taken place _so long ago_. He took a deep breath, facing her.

A mistake.

Tifa was standing there, uncovered. She hadn't put on the towel, nor did it appear as if she wanted to. It was one the ground next to her feet. His gaze met hers, that passionate aspect as evident as her nakedness. He couldn't control himself anymore.

The fighter took one big step towards the bar hostess, and kissed her.

It was an explosion of emotions. As soon as his lips met hers, a lot of entities inside of him became apparent. This feeling . . . of being wanted. Of being . . . loved even. He knew Tifa wanted him around, but he had never really thought of her craving him this way. Then again, his desire for her didn't really cross his mind until now.

His hands wrapped around her waist, bringing her closer to him. She moaned, her hands coming down his chest. When she got to the buttons of his shirt, she began to fiddle with them. Her hands worked systematically toward the bottom of it. He took a firm hold of her left breast. Tifa broke the kiss, her head falling back, her groan filling the bathroom. Cloud saw this as no big thing; he just decided the work on her neck now. His hand worked her softly, going from her breast to her thighs. She squirmed, reveling in everything happening. She didn't want to stop. She couldn't. Soon, the maiden had his shirt loosened. She started to push it back. He let her, releasing his belle for a brief moment. Before the piece of clothing hit the ground, he had Tifa back to him.

This time around, he kissed her harder, parting her lips. She didn't refuse. In fact, she gladly exposed herself to him. She tasted just as she smelled--sweet, undefiled. It was driving him crazy. He lusted for more. What he had now just wasn't enough.

Cloud sat down on the toilet, bringing her down with him. She straddled him with her legs, throwing her head back as he tasted more of her body. His mouth stayed in one spot on her neck. She shuddered at his passionate touch, fixedly holding onto his shoulders. He touched, with his lips, more delicate spaces of her skin. More of her neck, her jawbone, that pinpoint behind her ear. She had been waiting for this. Ravished in all of it. As he lowered his head, Tifa began to gain her senses back. They faltered for a quick moment when his tongue flickered on her taut nipple. He suckled on it. Another feminine moan released itself around them. A tremor went down her spine when she felt something hard underneath her. Involuntarily, she moved her hips back and forth against it. Cloud was the one to groan. After a minute, she regained her rationale. Why was she doing this? It wasn't right. Sure, she wanted it, but he didn't deserve it. In her mind, she was the one who deserved something. An explanation, or a reason, for that vampire's existence in her bar. Their home.

And suddenly, Tifa broke down into tears.

The warrior's head snapped up to looked at her. She was covering her eyes with her hands, shaking her head. "Tifa? What's wrong?" He knew the answer to that question almost as soon as he asked it. In his mind rushed a lot of things, but he wanted to hear one reason specifically from her.

Instead of a verbal response, she began to hit him, pushing herself off. Once that was done, she stood, backing against the wall of the bathroom. Cloud did the same, asking once again with his eyes the motive behind her abrupt actions. She did nothing but grab the towel to loosely wrap it around her body and high-tail it out of the room.

Cloud stood there, mentally shouting at himself, once again, for being so idiotically stupid.

By the time she had gotten back to her bedroom, the kids weren't there. She figured they got tired of watching television in here. Her whole body shaking, she made her way to her dresser. Into the mirror, she stared. The person that looked back at her was the same as when she last saw her reflection: pale, slender, pretty. There were some minor add-ons, such as tears. She wiped them away furiously with one hand, taking deep breaths to calm herself. Now, there was something different about her. This woman had been awakened, her feelings, yearnings aroused. The little scene she just had with her best friend was the trigger that fired the gun.

She didn't like it, and yet, she enjoyed it.

Tifa chose to not think about it for a while. Instead, she just gathered herself a pair of panties, a t-shirt, and some pajama pants. A bra was something she was not in the mood for right now. When that was settled, she lay down on her bed to think. _What the hell was I doing? Dammit, I just can't keep things to myself. Me and my godforsaken raging feminine hormones! I hate them! Hate them! Hate them! Hate them! Hate them! Hate them! Hate-- _

A knock on the door interrupted her.

"Come in," she told them quietly.

The person on the other side made the door ajar, poking their head in. It was none then the man himself, Cloud Strife. Tifa glanced at him, then turned over in her bed. She knew that she needed to talk to him, but didn't want to at the moment. She just wanted to think. Everything inside her was so mixed up and confusing.

"Tifa," she heard him say. She did nothing in response. He sighed. "I'm . . . I'm sorry. It was wrong of me to stare at you and . . . and . . ." She could just imagine him scratching the back of his head right now. It made her giggle despite how she felt. "This isn't funny."

The woman sat up, shaking her head. "I know it's not, Cloud. I was laughing at an image in my head." She sighed. "It was my fault. I shouldn't have provoked you that way."

"Yeah, but I didn't have to go along with it. We're both to blame here." It was silent for a few minutes after that.

"Did you . . . like it?" Her inquiry was barely even audible, but in her head, it was a siren. She twiddled with her fingers, not knowing whether or not to look up at him.

Her question startled him. He let out a breath in hadn't noticed he was holding in, sitting on the bed next to her. Noting the things she was doing, he guessed she was just as anxious about the whole thing as him. Maybe more. "I wasn't to do it in the first place."

"I didn't ask you that."

"Tifa, I'm not going to say it was a good thing, because of the way you ran out."

"I'm sorry. I got scared."

"Of what?"

"I don't know. Of . . . being hurt, I guess. Don't try to change the subject though." Looking him straight in the eye, she asked him again. "Did you like it?"

Cloud sighed, then nodded. "I did. I don't think it was a bad thing, either. I enjoyed it a lot. More than I should have."

Her face filled with a dejected guise. "Does that mean you didn't want to? Like you regret it?"

"No. I wanted it. I really did. The thing is, I _do _regret it. I regret a lot of things. Lately, it's been the fact that I lied to you and the kids. I regret leaving the bar, and you getting hurt, nearly killed. I regret what just happened, because I think I hurt you. I'm anticipating something I know won't take place."

"What's that?" He only shook his head again.

"But now, Tifa, I'm not going to regret those things anymore." He took her hand, catching her attention, his gaze grabbing hers forcefully. "Do you know why?"

"Why?" she whispered.

"I'm going to tell you everything that happened. No more lies, no more secrets. I promise you that."

* * *

Okay, so, how was it?

I give much love to elebelly. She helped a lot.

Muchas gracias.


	7. Confessing

Hiyas!! Okay, so, how was the last chapter?

* * *

_Cloud walked through the empty streets of what used to be a busy town. Dirt and strips of grass danced near his feet whenever he walked past it, or when the wind blew. The silence of it all was alarming him. Wutai was never a quiet town. Not this way. Someone was always outside, whether to greet the people coming in, or to see them out. Children always inhabited the sidewalks and streets, playing and laughing together. But not today. This day seemed like the Apocolpyse almost. The quietness of death. He stalked the streets, looking for any sign or limb. There was none. No one was here. Not outside._

_He read the address on the back package, making a right. When he finally got to the house, the warrior knocked three times. It echoed throughout the entire vicinity, sending a creepy shill up his spine. He reached behind him, gribbing the hilt of his sword. Cloud waited another minute, then knocked again. This time, he caught the faintest sound of shuffling. The door flew open, but he saw nothing--just darkness._

_That was when he heard a small metallic click. In a matter or minutes, his sword was guarding him from a barrage of bullets._

_The assailant came out, still firing. He made the mistake of lunging at Cloud, who merely side-stepped. The delivery boy swept the flat end of his blade under the man as he ran, tripping him. Within moments he was crouched over his attacker, holding his blade under him to their throat._

_"Please," the man pleaded. "Don't kill me. Don't hurt her."_

_The blonde was very confused. "I wasn't going to kill you. Not if you're my recipient. I really hope you are the owner of this house."_

_The man sighed. "Oh. Oh thank you. I-I didn't think you'd be so early, Mr. Strife."_

_Cloud stood, letting the stranger do the same. "Please. Call me Cloud." He cringed at the 'Mister'. He handed the man the package, taking a piece of paper and a pen from his pocket. The custumer signed it. Cloud took into account that his name was Seph Furgeison._

_Seph looked toward the door, gesturing for the warrior to follow. When he refused, the recipient told him, "But you must. Strange things are going on. You can't be out at night. Most are fearful of them coming out during the day."_

_"_Them_?"_

_"Yes! Please. Come in, and I will tell you." Cloud thought about it for a long moment and took his key from a pocket, sticking the paper and pen back in. On the surface of the key was a very small button. It was about twenty times smaller than Marlene's pinky, and very hard to see. Luckily, he knew where it was. He pressed it, satisfied with hearing all the little clicks and fastenings on Fenrir. No one could do anything with it now. It wasn't like they really could either way._

_When inside, he asked, after finding a chair next to the door, "So what's going on? Why is it like death outside?" Seph offered him coffee. Cloud refused. He kept both swords leaning on the chair arm so that he could sit comfortably._

_The man went over to a box sitting on a small table. He pulled a few bills, handing them to Cloud. The fighter counted them, making sure it was teh right ammount, then stuff that into his pocket as well. Luckily, they were deep. "Because it is death out there. We have these . . . beings. And infestation, so to speak. They come from the mountain over yonder. We, the townspeople, have come to the conclusion they are vampires."_

_The blonde's brow furrowed. "Why vampires? What are they doing?"_

_Seph took a sip of his coffee. He twitched slightly. "W-well, they are taking the children. At night, th-they walk the streets, sniffing. W-when they find the right smell, they g-go after it. Because a child's blodd is the purest, they go after them."_

_Cloud shook his head. "Okay. I understand all of that. But what makes you think they're _vampires_?"_

_The customer drank more of his beverage. "Well, after they kidnap a child or two, over the next forty-eight to sixty hours, all we can hear are the screams of the little ones. A day later, their bodies are put back into their respective homes, drained of blood. When one of the parents tried to put up a fight for her daughter, she was found dead, too. Even though there were bite marks and cuts all over her body as if she had been mamed, not a speck of blood was on the floor._

_"Very few parents get their children back at all. Maybe about one or two children have been returned--all in the way that I described to you. It's just so sad because the parents have to behead their own kid's head to prevent the transformation from happening. The funerals are really awful sights to see. I don't want to have to go through that."_

_The blonde nodded. "You have kids?"_

_The one addressed nodded. "A daughter. I've been keeping her hidden when night falls . It's only logical. I love her too much to lose her."_

_An image flashed through Cloud's mind. He was expecting it be of the kids. He thought it would be Denzel or Marlene. But it wasn't. Instead of seeing them when the prior sentence was spoken, he saw none other than his childhood pal, Tifa._

_Shaking his head to relieve it, Cloud asked, "Are you just telling me this for my safety?"_

_"Yes, but there is another reason." He seemed nervous, fiddling with his hands. The coffee helped ease his tremolous fingers. "Well, you see, something has to be done about this. Our town hero has already tried, but much luck was not on her side."_

_The warrior's body stiffened. "Yuffie?" The other man nodded. Cloud, jumped up, heading for the door, grabbing both his swords. His customer tried to stop him. The blonde left anyway._

_He walked briskly toward the biggest house in the vicinity. Yuffie couldn't be dead. She just couldn't. Yeah, she wrecked his nerves, but never deserved to die. It would break Tifa and kids' hearts. It might even affect him in a way, too._

_When he reached the building, he rapped on the door for a full minute. Nothing stirred, even though he felt a presence behind him. Something cold and metallic pressed against the back of his head. He wasn't afraid; he knew who it was as soon as a deep male voice resounded behind him._

_"Good. It's just you. Nice to see you Cloud."_

_"Likewise Vincent. Now, could you please . . ."_

_The blonde turned to see the ex-Turk return the gun to its holster under his cape. Vincent grabbed Cloud by the shoulder, heaving him into the house. Once inside, the older man turned to the younger one, saying, "Your going to have to stay quiet. For what might be outside . . . and for what's inside. She doesn't like for there to be much noise."_

_Cloud, relieved that Yuffie was alive, followed the other to the back. When they reached what he knew to be her room, the older opened the door quietly and softly. The warrior half-wished he didn't see what he did. Along with a lone candle burning on the nightstand, there was Yuffie, sprawled across her bed. Her head was bandaged all the way around, and over her left eye. She wasn't wearing a shirt; her torso was completely bandaged as well. Her leg lay in an awkward position, encased in a cast. The other seemed fine, save for some bruises and fairly long cuts. Her arms matched the unbroken leg._

_Because he had never seen her this way, it pained him. The fact that the little ninja could be hurt almost surprised him. She was never really the one in supreme pain._

_He walked over to the side of the bed. "Yuffie?" Her right eye fluttered open. He could see the amusement there, along with a smirk on her face. "I swear, if you weren't so hurt, I'd beat you up myself. What the hell were you thinking?" She rolled her eye at him. "I'm serious."_

_Yuffie opened her mouth, then closed it. Lifting her chin slightly, she said, "So, you do care about me?" Cloud stared at her. She sighed, wincing. "Well, I was thinking . . . that maybe I could do it." Her voice was so light and raspy. If he weren't standing here, he might not have been able to hear her at all. "What they were doing . . . it was sickening me. I mean, how could they . . .?" Her right eye began to water. Cloud took her hand, giving it a small squeeze. She smiled at that._

_He got up, finally seeing that Vincent had been leaning against the far wall the whole time. He walked from the bed to the gunman, engaging him in a whisper-filled conversation._

_"I'm going after them."_

_The other man didn't show the faintest hint of surprise. "I guess you could empathize, Cloud. Are you sure it is a wise thing?"_

_"It's the _only _thing. I don't even live here, and I can't go on knowing this is happening."_

_"You might need some help."_

_"No. You stay here and take care of Yuffie. All I need from you is a list of the suffering parents, and their addresses. Besides, have you left yet to confront them?"

* * *

For the next three days, Cloud stayed in Wutai, visiting anyone who had witnessed or been through this nightmare. Through the day, he never heard anything. Maybe _they _sensed a new presence. He didn't know. His nights were spent at Yuffie's house on the futon in the front room. He never heard anything then either. While he slept, his swords soaked in garlic and holy water. It was a putrid smell, but the water made things a little better._

_Some of the parents he talked with were too distraught to really say anything. They did, however, stress the fact that something had to be done. One mother stood out. She was the only one to make the offer she did.

* * *

__Cloud was welcomed into one of the smaller houses in the town. The woman's face was tear-stricken when she answered the door. By the time he found a place to stand on the other side of the living room, most of that mournful wetness was gone._

_She was the first to speak. Her voice was steady. "Are you Cloud Strife?" He only nodded. Her face brightened some with that one shred of hope left. "I'm . . . I'm Bridget Mason. My son was . . ." She looked down at the floor, her fist coming up to her face. Cloud took the time to study her. Bridget was a petite woman. About half a foot shorter than him, and he wasn't that tall himself. She was a blonde, like him, her tresses falling down past her hips. She also has startling greenish-grey eyes. She was beautiful, he had to admit, but right now, there were more important things at hand. Besides, there was someone else on his mind . . ._

_His thoughts were interrupted by her voice. She seemed to have found it while he was in his reverie. "I'm sorry. Would you like somewhere to sit?" He shook his head. She sat down on a sofa hear him. "Well, my son. His name . . . was Bryant."_

_Cloud nodded, closing his eyes. He listened better that way. "Are you one of the parents to get to get your kid back?"_

_Some bit of surprise etched itself across her face when he open one eye to look at her. Maybe it was from how nonchalant he was. Sure, he appeared that way, but inside, he was fuming. Not with her, but with the things responsible for all of this._

_She nodded at his question. Cloud closed his eyes again. "Yes. I woke u-up in the middle of the night. At first, I was afraid to move or do anything. It's just the fact that I w-was so thirsty. Something t-told me to get something to dr-drink. So I did. In my kitchen, just when I was about to turn on the light, I tripped over something. I cr-crawled over to it. The shape of it seemed so familiar. When I g-got around to t-turning the light on, m-my throat became so dry. I had tr-tripped over my son. My own boy." She sniffed. "I mean, he had b-bite marks and cuts a-all over his body. There wasn't any blood on him or anywhere on the floor. He didn't have on any clothes. You have to understand. He was just so pale, p-paper white even. And he was so light. Like . . . like there was almost nothing in his b-body." She broke down into tears._

_The warrior sighed. He could wait. He'd been doing that all day. It took her some time to regain her composure. Cloud took the time to think. From mostly everyone, he's heard the same things:_

_How the beings responsible were _only _seen at night._

_The manner in which the children were taken. The vampires totally ignoring the parents and only going for the kids. As if the adults aren't even there. Some try to fend for their children. Most told Cloud that they got a look, making them recoil in fear. Few have gotten hurt. One was dead. He found it sad, and frightening. Appaling, yet infuriating. _

_"I'm sorry for that," Birdget suddenly said. Cloud nodded, eyes still closed. She cleared her throat. "Well, I had his funeral abour four days later. There was a man--his name was Vincent--who said I would have to behead Bryant. I told him that I would do no such thing."_

_"What happened?"_

_"Halfway through the funeral, Bryant began convulsing. I was foolish enough to have a tiny bit of hope left for my son. The thing was. His jaw was snapping because his teeth were growing in. His incisors. The fangs. When he finally sat up and looked at us from the casket, his eyes were blood red like those who took him. He stared right at me. I knew then that there was no hope._

_"He started attacking people. The Vincent man came in, throwing something the resembled a very pointy star. It severed my baby's head. H-he left after that. W-we buried Bryant about t-two hours later when everything w-was sorted out."_

_Clous smiled to himself. That _did _sound like Vincent. He probably learned to throw shruiken from Yuffie. Maybe he had come before she got hurt . . . He'll ask him later. "Did anyone try to stop what was happening?"_

_"Yuffie did, the Materia huntress. She had tried about a month before Bryant was taken. Her failure was inevitable, I'm so sorry to say. But no one had tried like she had. We were all very proud."_

_"But, Bryant was only seven. When they came to tale him, the pair completely ignored me. When they emerged from his room, him screaming for me, I begged them to stop. I clung to the male, pleading for him not to take my son. The female looked jealous, and flung me off of him as if I were a piece of trash. _

_"Something has to be done about all of this. If Yuffie couldn't, maybe . . . you could. I'll even give you some bit of . . . motivation."_

_She stood. From her movement, Cloud decided to finally open one eye to look at her. Brdget was standing right in front of him, shirt totally unbuttoned. The warrior didn't know what to do but try and resist her. Unfolding his arms was a bad thing to do._

_She thrust herself inside them, looking up into his eyes, hers sparkling. "Please. I'll do anything if you can stop this. Anything you want. Just . . . it must stop. All of it. It--"_

_"Look." Cloud pushed her off, gently. "You don't have to offer me sex or money. This is repulsive enough as it is, the things they're doing. I can empathize; I have two kids of my own. I know you're upset, Ms. Mason, but you really don't want to do this. You're still grieving."_

_She backed away fastening her shirt with trembling fingers. "I apoligize. You just . . . seem so calm about the whole thing."_

_"I always do." He left the house after that.

* * *

That night, after asking Vincent about the shriuken--who told him the Yuffie would have to watch him throw it because she was so hurt--Cloud lounged on the futon in the front. He was thinking of what he was going to have to do tomorrow. What he was going to do about--_

_His phone rang. When he looked at the number, he felt himself get a little happier._

"_Hello_?"

_"Cloud! You're okay. We were getting worried about you." In the back, he heard little voices saying, 'Hi Cloud!'_

_He smiled. Hearing from his family always made his day a little better. Especially from her._

_"Hey Tifa. I'm fine okay. Just in Wutai now. I . . . have a few more stops to make. I'll be back home soon."_

_There was a pause. "Denzel, stop that! You're going to break it. What? Oh, okay. We'll see you when you get home." He nodded, knowing she couldn't see the action. "And Cloud?"_

_"Hmm?"_

_"I . . . we miss you."_

_He sighed. "I know. I . . . miss you guys too."_

_After he talked with the kids and the farewells were exchanged, he flipped the phone shut, dropping it on the side of his resting place. Folding his hands behind his head, sleep came to him. It took its time, but eventually the blonde was dreaming. _

_All he saw was blood. All he heard was his imagination contorting the screams of those taken.

* * *

__He stood, facing them both, anger burning like a loney flame in the night. Of course a surprise attack wouldn't work; they could _sense _him. It made what he just tried stupid, but he didn't care. If he didn't get a grip on his anger, though, he'd be in trouble. It was just so hard._

_The female was crounched low on the ground, the body of a girl in her claws. Her teeth sank low into the child's neck. She paid no mind to Cloud staring at her; it almost seemed as if she were ignoring him. To witness something like this first hand was enough._

_"Why?" was the only thing he could really say at first._

_The male laughed. "That's very rude of you, Strife. You come up here to our domain, and won't even share your name. At least we know it. Your little friend down there did the same thing, and look what happened to her. I guess, you just get straight to the point. I'm glad for that. Her mouthing got on my nerves._

_"Well, anyway, my name is Shenin. This is Sheilia." She glanced at Cloud, smiling, before going back to her meal. "We do this because . . . well, mostly because we need to. Other than that, it's fun."_

_Cloud spat on the ground. "It's sick."_

_Shenin shook his head. "I don't question the way you run your life. I despise humans. All they care about is their own prosper, so they hurt nature to get it. All of you deserve to die."_

_The warrior stood, feet apart, ready. "Being a little hypocritical, aren't we? I mean, weren't you human once?"_

_The vampire's mouth turned into a snarling grin. "Yes. I loathed it."_

_He ran at Cloud, arms outstretched. The warrior held up the gigantic sword, knowing the fiend would grasp that instead. When he did, Shenin began to yowl in pain, recoiling._

_"What have you done to it?!"_

_Cloud smirked. He began to back away towards his bike. He knew that fighting up here in the mountain was suicide. The plains outside of Wutai would be much better for him. When he finally reached Fenrir, he hopped on and took off down the mountain. He heard a roar erupt from behind him, knowing fully that the battle hadn't even begun._

_They must've guessed his plans. About four miles outside of the town, they caught him. As he drove, one of the vampires came up on his side. He swirved, dodging it narrowly. It came right back, like a boomerang. The result was a gash all the down his left arm. He felt as if it had been split right open. Swirving once more, he pushed his knees firmly agianst both sides of the motorcycle, balancing himself out. With one sword already strapped to the holster on his back, Cloud pressed the button on the handle of the bike. The sides allowed access, revealing several large blades. He selected one, adding that to the one on his back, still holding the other from earlier in his hand. He didn't have to worry about them being ineffectve; they were all soaked in garlic and holy water._

_For about the next half hour, Cloud and the two vampires had at it. They continued their regular assault of coming up on the sides and from behind, swiping at him. The reason why he coulnd't beat it was because it was continous. They were so fast, he sensed too many things at once, confusing him. He recieved several large cuts and bruises from the attack. Although, they didn't walk away with just anything, either. Once, Sheilia clung to the front of the bike, making it impossible for him to see past her billowing wild hair. She clawed at his face, leaving a couple of cuts, including a small one across the bridge of his nose. The only reason why he got her off was because he cut off some of her hair and left a gash on her hip. She cried out._

_That might've been a mistake._

_Shenin roared in fury of his mate being hurt in that way. He jumped on the back of Fenrir. The sudden weight caused the front end to rear up. Cloud thrust his sword back, but Shenin moved out of the way. Only a second later did he reappear on the front in of the bike. The rear shot up. Cloud flew off and into the vampire. They tumbled for a few moments. The warrior landed on top of the vampire, but Shenin just kicked him off. He flew a few feet before feeling a severe pain in his back. It was Sheilia, digging her nails into him. Almost as soon as she left him, everything stopped. Cloud felt the thing he feared most:_

_Razor sharp teeth sinking into his neck._

_The blonde screamed, nearly dropping his sword. It knew it was Shenin standing behind him, drawing the life force from his body. Sheilia was standing across the vast plain, looking at something in her hand. He couldn't really see what it was. At that moment, a blood red wave washed over his vision. He couldn't really see past it. He couldn't stand it. He tried one last attempt to save himself._

_Cloud thrust his sword back. Shenin was so distracted by his blood, he didn't notice. He staggered backwards, howling from all the surprise and pain. The warrior's red vision died down some, but everything still had a slight burgundy tinge. In a fluid movement, he took another blade from his back and swiped it at the vampire's neck. Shenin's head flew a few hundred feet, lolling on the ground near Sheilia's toes. The rest of the male assailant's body sank to it's knees, next it's front coming in contact with the dirt beneeth it. The body faded, then dissapated into black smoke._

_Sheilia hollored, "No!! Cloud Strife, I am going to kill you!" She ran at him. With some last reserve of strength, he cast Fire at her, knowing that was also another vampire's weakness. The spell started in her hair. She yelped, grabbed a handful of mud, splooshed it on her head, and ran off. The last thing he heard was,_

_"Your family is dead Strife."_

_His family? How would she know about them?_

_A few yards away, he spotted his wallet laying open. He crawled over to it, picking up. It revealed a picture of him and Tifa, standing in her bar that night he had come back home for good. The one beside it was of Marlene and Denzel. This must've been what she was looking at. He noticed she had dropped it once Fire was cast._

Not them. No . . .

_That was the last thing on his mind before it all went black.

* * *

_Tifa stared at Cloud, barely believing what she had just heard. All of that . . . Wait a minute.

She lifted a hand to his chin, turning his head. There it was. Four piercings into his neck. She had never even noticed it before.

"How come . . . you haven't changed?"

They were the only two in the room. The kids had already gone to bed. After their little scene in the bathroom, he decided to tell her about it all. The kids demanded their attention. He finally got around to it a few hours ago. It was very late, or early. Whichever one worked.

"You didn't notice? I drink it everyday."

Tifa thought for a moment. A drink he has everyday . . .

"Water? But that's a good thing."

_"_Holy water, Tifa. It postpones the change. I have to drink it everyday so that the transformation won't happen."

"Postpones it for how long?"

"Until I stop drinking it."

She thought about that, too, trying for some kind of way to get around it. "But I thought if the vampire that turned you was killed, the connection would be lost. That the person bit would be unaffected."

Cloud shook his head. "I think it must be Sheilia. Since they were mates at the time, since _they_ had some type of connection, then it must be the reason why--"

He was interrupted by Tifa's hand coming in hard rapid contact with his face.

"Why didn't you say anything?" She asked him. Her eyes were sparkling, her fists clenching the covers. They were on the bed now, her near the wall. "That night we called you, you said nothing. You lied! You lied again about being in a _simple motorcycle accident. _And now," her fists came up to her face, "you've gone and gotten yourself bitten. Vincent could've helped you. Or . . . or me . . ." A reluctant sob escaped her lips.

Cloud pulled Tifa close to him. She cried into his chest barely understanding it all. He had been bit, but hadn't changed. That was good, but did he have to go and take a chance like that?

"Teef, I'm sorry. I didn't want Vincent to get hurt. He had too much to take care of. I didn't want you to get hurt, either. There's too much that you're needed for. I could've told you something. My keeping you ignorant almost caused your death. But I won't keep anything from you anymore. Okay?" She nodded, finally calming down.

After a minute, she looked up at him again. Her hand came up to his face, her finger trailing along one scar on his cheek, another on the one on his nose. "I like that one. I like it a lot." She kissed it softly, staring deep into his eyes for a brief moment, before laying back down on him. Within the next few minutes, she was alseep.

A few after that, so was he.

* * *

OMG, could you just imagine a scar on Cloud's nose?!  
I, for one, think it'd be cute.  
Then again, I'm a girl...  
Although, I didn't mean to make the chapter so long. I just kept writing and writing until I thought it'd be best to stop. Then when I finally typed it, it was longer than I anticipated!  
4800+ words in one chapter!  
I've never done that before!!


	8. Apologies Exchanged, An Agreement Made

Hiyas!! Well, I think my faithful readers deserve a look into how Cloud would be if . . .

* * *

Cloud woke to an empty bed. He remembered coming around to telling her everything last night. She had slapped him for lying, something he probably deserved.

Thinking about it made his face hurt.

He threw the covers from his body, making his way to Tifa's mirror. Staring at the mark on his neck, it made the whole event rush through his mind.

Everything covered in that red tinge.

The insertion of Shenin's teeth, resulting in excruiating pain.

The feeling of blood being drained from his body.

The warrior collasped against the dresser, his ragged breath collecting on the mirror in the form of fog. Clenching the furniture as if it were the only thing to keep him alive, he squeezed his eyes shut in an attempt to hold it off. _It can't be happening. I drank the water less than twenty-four hours ago. _

But as soon as he opened his eyes and gazed upon himself in the mirror, he knew that it was.

All the things around him had that same burgundy hue as it did when he was first bit. His orbs still held firm to their blue appearance, but there was something wrong. As he looked into the reflecter, they seemed to be pulsating. His pupils would dialate, become slits, then dialate again. After another minute, he noticed that it was going in tune with the beat of his heart, the rate speeding up.

_No._

Cloud staggered backwards. He made it over to his belt, in which he knew he had to have something,_ anything. _He tossed everything out and to the side. There was nothing there. No holy water. He drank it all.

_No._

He doubled over, tightly holding his head. He felt as if it'd blow into a million pieces if he didn't. The sensation made him dizzy. He couldn't stand it. A roar escaped his lips. He dove for the dressar, heaving all the items from it. He through several different things, not knowing or caring what they were or hit.

His ears caught the sound of the door opening. When he turned to the person responsible for it, he saw the little girl of the house. Involuntarily, he growled, grasping his head again. His eyes shut, he faced the surface of the dressar once more as he heard the girl squeal. It pained him, but that wasn't much of his concern at that moment. He knew Marlene would go get Tifa, who would approach him. If she did that, then he might attack her. And if he did _that_, then he'd never forgive himself.

Sure enough, there she was, a glass of . . . something in her hand. He couldn't place its contents, but it was repulsive to him. Cloud stepped back, hissing, then lunged himself at her. She rushed to the side, yelling something he couldn't quite comprehend. It wasn't at him, but at whoever was at the door--the kids maybe. He turned to her, crouched, ready to pounce again. Tifa bit her lip, standing her ground. He jumped at her. They both landed with a _thud _on the floor. An expression of agony contorted her features, the glass spilling some of what it held. The barmaid stared deep into his eyes. She knew this wasn't the real Cloud, and she knew it wasn't him doing these things.

She reached into the pocket of her sweatpants. Retrieving a clove of garlic, she held it out toward him as he bent his head to bite her neck. He hissed again, letting up to get away from his temporary weakness. The bar hostess stood, running over to Cloud, shoving him down onto the bed. He lashed out, his nails scraping her cheek. She ignored the blow, tilting his head up. Stradling him with her legs, Tifa took the risk of placing a finger inside of his mouth. She pushed down on it, forcing him to part his lips. Immediately, the glass was there. He drank it, barely aware of what he was doing. Almost instantly, the bloody hue was beginning to disappear, as was the torturous sensation in his head. He coughed a few times, closing his eyes to relieve them of the blurs.

"Cloud?"

Her voice fully released his prior symptoms. He looked at her, then at the door to see two small heads poking in. The blonde sighed, taking a gentle hold of the barmaid's wrist. She gasped, scanning his features to find any sign that he was still what they both feared. There was none. His face was blank, but his blue orbs were filled with regret. "Tifa, I--" She shook her head, getting up, covering her cheek. Opening the door wide, she walked past the kids down the hall. It didn't matter; he still saw what he did, and the tears in her eyes.

He locked eyes with Denzel, shame building even further. He knew the boy viewed him as an idol, a hero. What did he think now, seeing the things he did?

"It's okay. I'm fine now. You can come in." They stayed rooted in their spots for a minute. Finally, the boy came forward. He walked until he was standing right in front of Cloud. They both stared, blue to blue.

Finally, Denzel spoke. "Are you okay really?" Cloud nodded. Marlene came, hiding behind the boy, and this deepened the man's pain. Scaring them was something he didn't mean to do. "Well, alright." He shuffled his feet, looking at the ground. "You know, I wasn't afraid."

The man gazed upon the boy, smiling. "At all?" Denzel shook his head. "You are a very brave young boy." Cloud ruffled his hair, and the boy grinned. He got off the bed and went to Marlene. She was standing behind Denzel, but now she wasn't really using him for cover. "Did I scare you Marlene?"

She sniffed. "A little."

He picked her up, giving her a hug. "I'm sorry okay. It won't ever happen again."

"You promise?"

"Yeah." He put her down, looking at the both of them. The girl was smiling.

"Good. You hurt Tifa, I think. You scared her, too."

Cloud sighed. "I know. I'm going to go apoligize now. Will that make you feel better?" The girl nodded.

They left the room, walking down the stairs into the bar. There was the hostess, scrubing at a non-existent stain on a glass, a fresh bandage on the right side of her face. She seemed very frustrated by something, her knuckles growing white from the pressure. Cloud took a step toward her, but the kids shook their heads and ran. They pulled on her sleeves. She looked at them, and they waved her down. Her head came closer to theirs, and they whispered things that he could not hear. When they were done, Marlene nodded to Tifa, who sighed. Denzel took the girl's hand, leading her to the stairs.

Cloud came near the barmaid asking, "What did they say?"

She put the glass in the sink, grasping the edge. "I told them that I would talk to you. They said that they forgave you. Denzel said that it was an accident, that they thought you were just sick." She gave him a startling glare. "But what I don't understand is the fact that you promised them it wouldn't happen again. Cloud, how do you know that? I know you drank that water less than twenty-four hours ago, so why were you changing? What would've happened if I got up there too late?"

He turned away from her. "I don't want to think about that."

"But you need to! What if-"

"I don't want to think about it!" The rise in his voice made her hush, but not recoil. He sighed. "Listen Tifa, I'm sorry. I didn't think that it would happen. Don't be mad at me because of something that's already taken place."

"I can't be mad? I can't be a bit upset? Being a little hypocritical, aren't we? I'm not the one who went around moping for almost two years."

That remark earned her a glare, but she ignored it, going back to the dishes in the sink. He knew it was the truth, but she didn't have to bring it up, nor did she have to say it that way. "All I can say to you is that I am sorry. I'm sorry for keeping you ignorant, I'm sorry for letting Sheilia come here. I'm sorry I got bit, and I'm sorry the kids had to see that. For everything I've done, Tifa, I'm sorry. For being sad when Aerith died, being sulky. Not forgiving myself. For leaving you and Marlene, and later Denzel. For being the worst thing that's probably ever happened to you Tifa, I am so sorry!"

The last sentence made her head snap up, but he was already storming off. She bit her lip, not meaning to upset him that way, looking down at the sink. Maybe she shouldn't have said what she did, but she just couldn't help it. Last night, she proved to him that she was angry. That should've been enough. But she just couldn't let it go, could she? Her hand came up to her cheek, bandaged now, and it was then that she noticed Cloud at the bottom of the stairs, staring at her. "I'm sorry for that, too." He was gone.

Tifa sighed, finishing the dishes. She knew that the situation shouldn't be left that way. For right now, it would have to be. She just wished the kids didn't hear or see it. They stood by the stairs, obviously having stopped to make sure things would go right. She hated disappointing them.

* * *

A knock on the door distracted the warrior from his thoughts. He didn't say anything, and the person came in. It was Tifa, her hands clenched tightly in front of her. Her faced portrayed determination, her eyes remorse. He didn't want to know what she wanted, but she'd tell him anyway.

Swiftly, she made her way over to the bed, sitting down on the edge of it. He sat up. They didn't say anything for a while, staying there in antagonizing silence. It was only after about ten minutes was something exchanged.

"What have you been doing?"

He wasn't expecting her to say that. It was . . . random. "Thinking."

"About what?"

He shrugged. "Things."

"You mean, about how awful you've been? How awful your existance is?" When she gaved him her sightly attention, he was nodding. "Well, that doesn't take very long to think about."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that you've had to be up here doing something else. To think about what you just said only takes a second. Literally."

"How so, Tifa?"

"Because, you aren't awful." She placed her hand on top of his. "I've never thought of you as an awful human being. Just someone who's been through a lot, someone who's made mistakes. Cloud, we all make mistakes. You might've made more than the average person," he huffed at that, which made her smile, "but it's okay. I don't resent you for that." She sighed. "I'm sorry for what I said. I mean, I should've said it."

"But it's the truth."

"That doesn't matter. Sometimes, the truth is better left unspoken. We both know it's true, but I didn't have to bring it up. Not that way."

"Well, I understand your being mad at me. The kids really shouldn't have seen that. But it won't happen again. I know it won't. I just have to make sure I have some holy water at hand, and to drink it twice everyday."

Her face showed confusion. "Twice?"

"Yeah. I guess my body is building a resistance to only having it once. So I'm going to have to drink more than one cup." He tilted his head toward his nightstand. When Tifa looked, she saw an empty glass. "Do you think I was being a bit over the top?"

His smirk made her laugh. "Yes I do. You're not the worst thing that's ever happened to me. I think you might be the best, other than the kids. They're a pure miracle."

He nodded. Lifting a hand, it landed upon her bandaged cheek. He scrutinized it for a minute, before gently brushing his lips against hers for a brief moment. Before stopped, he sucked on her lower lip, tasting the same thing she smelled like--honey and milk. But when he did pull away, his eyes showed resolve. She felt that way, too.

"Tifa, can we both agree on something?"

"Sure. It depends though."

"For both our sakes, can we agree to not . . . No more intimacy. Touching or kissing, nothing. Okay?"

Her sight lowered to the sheets they sat upon. "Okay. It would be for the best." She thought about it for a minute, thinking she would regret the bargain. But just to make sure he was out of her system, she pounced upon him. He was surprised, but she didn't care. Tifa kissed him, clinging to him tightly. He let her, knowing he needed it just as much. Before she lost control, she withdrew, panting. He stared at her in astonishment, not knowing what to say. As a last stand, she softly laid her lips on the scar on his nose. He just smiled.

"Are you alright now?"

She nodded. "Does that mean I can't cuddle with you? While we sleep?" He shook his head to her relief. "Okay. Then I understand. No more intimate touches or gestures." Tifa got up, as did Cloud, and she hugged him. "Can I still do this?" She felt his affirmative notion against the top of her head. "Okay. I have to go start dinner." He let her go. She sauntered down the hall, winked at him, then descended the stairs.

And just when he thought he couldn't be any happier with himself, his phone rang.

* * *

Ah. The eight chapter. Man, I sure was relieved when I finished this. Expect more action in these last couple chapters, people! I sure do!  
I see another two, three chapter along the way...  
Maybe four will do...


	9. The Note

I warn you now, that I have been thinking about changing the title, just as I have done the summary. I don't know why I'm _just _doing this when the fic is almost done, but well, something told me to. When it is changed . . . well, the reason will be apparent in the coming chapters.  
I must now point out that the end of this fic is coming up much faster than I expected...

* * *

Cloud walked over to his dresser. His phone nearly vibrated off of it, along with making a chirping noise that wasn't loud enough for anyone outside the room to hear. Yuffie changed the ringtone once as a practical joke, and he never got around to switching it back. _I really need to. _Glancing at the screen, he saw the number was unknown. He flipped it open.

"Strife Delivery--"

"Mr. Strife? Cloud? It's me Seph. Your customer from Wutai."

He was astonished. "Mr. Furgeison? What are you doing calling this number?" There weren't many people who could reach his cell besides his friends. Only did his customers get it when they needed to contact him urgently while he was away from home. Other than that, they had the bar number. As far as he was concerned, Seph never had it.

"Cloud, this is very important. It's about the vam--"

The line went dead.

He looked at his screen to see that his phone had died. He swore, knowing the call was a dire one, remembering the nagging feeling he had to charge his it last night. Only a minute later did he hear the bar phone ringing.

_Oh no._

He ran from his room to the office. Picking up the phone there, he heard Tifa say through the other line, "Cloud? Oh, he's upstairs. I'll get him for you."

"It's okay Teef. I got it."

He could hear the surprise in her voice from hearing his voice. He rarely answered the phone. "Oh. Okay then." The other phone was hung up.

"Mr. Furgeison?"

"Cloud?" The warrior noticed that the man was speaking in a hushed, rapid tone.

"Why are you whispering?"

"I don't have much time. Listen, I'm near the Cosmo area now. I just spotted that vampire. One of the ones wrecking havoc upon our town. It's the female. She's over here near the Cosmo area as well, about a hundred yards away from me."

"You need to be _very careful, _Seph. She can probably hear--"

He was cut off by a terrible ripping sound, accompanied by a gurgling noise. There was high-pitched giggling in the background, and the call ended once more. He knew it was more than just the device this time. He put the phone back on the cradle, sighing. He had a very drastic decision to make, but both involved him going after Sheilia:

Either he told Tifa, or he didn't.

If he told her that Sheilia had been spotted, then she'd want to go along. She would insist that she _had _to go with him. Of course, she would get someone to watch the kids, but who could at the last minute? Maybe Yuffie, but that was a slim possibility. Vincent would have to come with her, and he wasn't even sure if she had healed properly to be moving around. _She jumps around like a cat on coals. I don't think Vincent could keep her in bed for that long._ But if not them, who? Barret maybe, but things never worked with him when they were arranged at the last minute. And Cloud had to go tonight, to make sure he catches her. Tifa might be forced into staying home with the kids, because they certainly couldn't go...

His friend was a very determined woman, and would unfortunately find a way.

But if he didn't tell her, then what? He'd be going back on his promise, and Cloud tried to be a man of his word. The fact was plain and simple:

He couldn't go without telling her. So, how could he tell her without her coming along...?

He'd have to think about that later.

"What was that about?"

Cloud turned around to see Tifa wiping off her hands on a small dish towel. She was giving him that famous smile that brought in so many customers, and made everything better for him. He shook his head. Her eyes were full of concern, seeing the color drained from his face. She walked up to him, placing a hand on his cheek. "Cloud, what's wrong? Who was that?"

His eyes widened. "It was nothing, okay Tifa? Just a customer." He put a hand on hers, gently and slowly pulling it away from his face. It dropped to her side.

"Did they not like something?"

He sighed. "Yeah. They have a real problem."

She looked at the ground. "Oh. Well, does that mean you have to go?"

He scratched the back of his head, knowing this was far from the way he wanted to tell her. "Yeah. I really have to."

Tifa bit her lip and stared back up at him. "Not before dinner. Please? Just have something to eat first. You know as well as I do that traveling on an empty stomach is bad."

And he did. Those days they had to go without food sometimes while traveling two years back were the most vigorous part.

He nodded. "Okay. I'll have something to eat." His stomach growled, and Tifa stiffled a laugh. A couple minutes later, he heard the front door open.

She looked back. "Oh! That must be them!" She was out of the room in a flash.

_Them? _

It didn't take very long for him to fond out who _they _were. Downstairs in the bar his eyes were met with the sight of Reno and Rude, the two top Turks under Rufus Shinra. He never liked them, but they come in handy, especially if they would get benefits from the aftermath. Rude was sitting at the counter watching Tifa mix a few drinks. Reno was behind the bar, his eyes focused on more than just drinks. The kids were in the living room drawing.

Cloud, feeling a bit territorial all of a sudden, snarled, "You're not supposed to be back there if you are a patron. Reno, no matter who you might be, you fall under that category."

The redhead turned to the one who addressed him. "Ah Cloud! How've you been buddy?" He walked up to the swordsman, draping an arm over his shoulder.

Cloud shrugged it off. "I'm not your buddy. What are you doing here?"

"I called them over while you were on the phone." Tifa's voice distracted him from the annoying loud mouth. "I have to go by the store. Since it was a customer, I thought you would have to go. They're going to watch the kids since they were around the neighborhood and have nothing else to do."

"Oh. Well, I still have to eat, and I'll probably be here when you get back." As soon as he said that, his mind clicked. _While she's gone I could leave! It'd be perfect. _Then he mentally slapped himself for giving the Turks a reason to go.

Reno shrugged. "That's okay. We could stay and help out a bit. Hang out with Cloudy boy here." He patted the warrior on the back.

"Don't touch me," the blonde growled. The redhead backed away, hands up in surrender.

Tifa smiled, handing a glass to Rude. "Okay. The more the merrier I guess. I'll be back soon." She grabbed a small jacket from the hanger near the door. Going to Cloud, she longed to kiss him, but remembered their earlier agreement. She settled for a hug. "See you later."

As she was walking out, he grabbed her wrist. "You'll be okay? It's late. You sure you wanna go by yourself?" _Dammit Strife! Quit being cautious! Let her go so you can._

She flashed that brillant smile. "I'll be fine. I don't think it'd hurt to take Rude along with me, though." The silent man downed the rest of his beverage, then approached the door. Cloud let her go, and they left.

"So, what's going on with you and that angel?"

Cloud ignored him, walking over to the stove.

_I'm so glad that I don't have to be here long with _him.

* * *

Reno got along much better with the kids than Cloud anticipated. It might've been the fact that he was pretty childish himself, but he really got on great with them. It was comforting to the warrior to know that he'd be leaving them in . . . good hands--_good _being used loosely.

As he ate, he watched Marlene teach the loud mouth the rules and essentials of the quiet game. Of course, he lost, interrupting in the middle of the game to ask a question, having to pay each kid ten gil. This made it even more obvious that the kids would be just fine with Reno.

As soon as he was done eating, Cloud went upstairs, dressing in his usual attire. Black pants and shirt-jacket. Black boots, shoulder armor. From his drawer, he pulled out a pen and a sheet of paper, writing a few things on it. When that had been accomplished, he grabbed his keys, leaving the room and that damning piece of paper.

* * *

Tifa walked through the door, a few grocery bags in her hands, most of them in Rude's. On the sofa in the living room were the kids, sleeping, Reno curled up on the ground in front of them. She giggled, settling a few things down. He didn't even stir. "Rude, can you go wake up the doofus?" The man nodded. "And he's supposed to be a Turk . . ." The bald one went over to Reno, softly kicking him in the stomach. The doofus in question sat up groggily, growling. Seeing it was the quieter of the two, he jumped up.

Walking over to Tifa, who was putting things up in the refridgerator, he asked, "How was grocery shopping?"

"Reno, someone could've walked in, and you wouldn't have even known."

"What makes you say that?"

"Because Rude and I just did. How can I ever trust you again with watching the kids if I needed you to?"

The one addressed yawned. "I'm sorry. I just thought I might take a nap. Very tired from all this Turk business. Besides, I knew you guys weren't a threat."

Tifa giggled again. "Whatever. Thank you Reno." He nodded. She recalled not seeing Fenrir outside. "Did Cloud leave, or were you asleep then, too?"

"No, I was not asleep, and yes, he is gone." The redhead turned away for a moment, and then remembered something. "Oh right. He said to tell you that he was . . . he was sorry. Something like that."

Confusion spread across the woman's face like wildfire. _He's . . . sorry . . .? _It didn't take another two minutes for her to know exactly what he meant. "Did he say anything else?"

"Here's the part where I began to get sleepy. Me, and your kids. I think I heard something about Cosmo Canyon, or over there in that area. I'm not too sure."

Tifa ran up the stairs, thrusting the door to Cloud's room open. She needed something, _anything _to confirm what Reno had said. Maybe she was just over reacting. Maybe he had a customer from Cosmo Canyon. He wasn't there, she already knew that, and his usual things were gone with him. All his swords, probably in their holsters in Fenrir, instead of hanging on the wall like they do sometimes. His belt, his shoulder armor, his regualr traveling things. Yeah, maybe it was just her.

But what would he apologize for?

On his nightstand did she spot a fluttering piece of paper. It was being weighed down by a pen. Other than that, it would've slipped off. Briskly, she picked it up, realizing almost instantly Cloud's neat hand-writing.

_Tifa, I know I promised you that I wouldn't lie to you anymore. That I wouldn't keep anything else from you. I'm wrong, I know, but this was the only way I could tell you and go without you coming along with me. I don't want you to get hurt again. On the phone, that _was _a customer, and there _was _something he didn't like, and he _did _have a problem, so I didn't really lie about that. He said he'd spotted Sheilia, but the line went dead before he could say anything more. I left to go have one more shot at taking care of this. I'm so sorry Tifa, but I'm going to make this right. Make everything better this time around.  
I promise._

Her eyes were wide with terror, and watery. Her body was shaking with rage and sadness. Her grip on the paper nearly ripped it. She was just so angry at him, and yet, hurt _by _him. Him trying to make it right was what got her hurt in the first place. He really thinks that she's just going to stay home? Tifa didn't even care about the fact that Reno and Rude were standing in the doorway, or that the kids were asleep. She really needed to just let it out.

"That . . . that _bastard!!"

* * *

_Oh, and one more thing. The reason why all of this is in one day...well, it's simple.  
Cloud's minitransformation happened around 11:30, 12-ish(I never saw him as an early-riser, except for working) Then the whole thing with Tifa took about another fifteen, twenty minutes. A few hours passed before she actually came in his room to sort things out...  
I'm thinking another three chapters...  
Yep. Three should definately do...


	10. Her story

Yes, I know. I should've waited a bit longer before changing the title.  
I just couldn't help myself...  
I am also going to try something different in this chapter, letting my readers see things from a different perspective...

* * *

She wandered around aimlessly, waiting. Being alive for so long, she learned to be patient, even though it was something she didn't like. But, for now, for _him. . ._well, she could hold out. He was different than any other human she had ever come across. Her, and Shenin. When he entered that little town of Wutai, they didn't move, didn't bother anyone. People began to think it was a fix, that they had gone. _The fools. _They weren't gone, but delaying. Trying to postpone their next feed in exchange for checking out the new arrival. People seemed to depend on him. They asked for his help. Everyday, they sensed his growing anger, knowing that he would come after them. He was sympathetic, and that almost cost him his life.

The problem was, Shenin and Sheilia weren't expecting him to be so strong.

When they were close to him, they were aware of the looming smell of Mako. It wasn't strong enough for a mere human to pick out, but they noticed it. His abilities were enhanced, but that wasn't going to stop them from taking him as their next victim. . .

That was their mistake. Shenin always undermined or intimidated his opponents with words mostly. Just taking a look at herself made them shiver. She was the more corrupt one, she was the one who was more savage than her partner. Yes, they made a mistake in underestimating him, but so did he in letting her live. Of course, he had no choice. Death was upon him, and it would've taken its course if that man in the red hadn't come to his rescue. Vincent, she thought his name was. He had been helping around the small town, giving people advice about their children. He knew too many things about them. Sheilia once thought that he had to be a vampire himself to be that knowledgeable. Shenin pointed out that he didn't sense it in him. When she focused on it, she didn't either.

The only reason why they disparaged him was because of the girl. _Yuffie_, she thought. She had come to fight them for the same reasons. But as soon as she saw Shenin's bloody mouth and Sheilia's arms full with a child's torso and nothing else, her eyes leaked.. She tried to battle with watery eyes in a blind rage and sadness, and it nearly cost her her life.

But the man wasn't the same. He knew how to keep his emotions in check, to see clearly through a fight. It was obvious that he had been through a lot. Of course, the both of them had heard of the name _Cloud Strife _here and there. They never thought they would have to fight him, nor did they think he would be so strong.

While Shenin had him in his teeth, she had his wallet. Sheilia had scraped it up during the scuffle. In it, she saw pictures. One of a little girl and boy, and another of the man and. . .well, she assumed it was his girlfriend. To see the photos pained her for some reason. It reminded her of her life as a human. The feeling of having someone to love you, and to know what it was like to love back. As a vampire, she didn't really know what that word meant any longer. A hatred for all people had built up inside of her before she was turned. Being an immortal creature only fueled it more. But sometimes. . .she wondered.

She wondered what it would be like to have Hammond back. Him, along with Luciuna and Treil. The anguish of thinking about them was nearly unbearable. Of wanting her husband and children. Yes, she had children before she became a vampire.

And that was the reason why she fed from them.

Knowing they were pure, knowing that they were fragile, it made her sick. She wished that they weren't so. On the other hand, it made her want their blood more than anything in the world. But as she stared at those pictures in her hand that day, she knew that blood wasn't what she realy wanted.

What she really wanted was her life back.

When she was first transformed, she cried a lot. Or, she wept without tears. Vampires couldn't produce tears, she was told. Her biter had been Shenin, and she had stuck by his side since then. He told her things about humans, and it made her want them dead. She wanted them all to die. But every time she killed a man, she saw Hammond. Every time she took the life of a child, she imagined them being Luciuna or Treil. The pain only made her want to kill more.

When she killed that woman fighting for her child's life in Wutai, she saw herself.

Sometimes, she remembered how it felt to lose someone she loved. How those people in those countless towns had felt when they discovered the death of a loved one. That death, that agony had only been brought on by her and Shenin. More than once it got to her, and her partner would scold about it. How she let the emotions of a human slip to her being. . .He found it appalling.

_Our mission is not to feel. . .but to kill._

Those were his words. She stuck by them. It was just becoming so hard. She was becoming immune to the torment, but it still haunted her.

So did that fateful night.

* * *

_A twenty-six year old Sheilia walked through the front door of a small house. It was something of a cottage, and was the only thing her and her husband could afford. Her arms were full with bags, groceries from the market. As soon as the man on the sofa saw her, he rose._

_"Afternoon sweetheart." He kissed her forehead, taking some of the things from her._

_"Hi Hammond. How was work today?"_

_"Fine. Still having money come in." She laughed at that, noticing that there wasn't much noise. _

_"Kids aren't back from playing yet?"_

_He shook his head. "I thought they would be. Maybe they lost track of time. Luciuna tends to do that more often than not. She's a lot like you."_

_She sighed. "Well, if they're not back by nightfall, then we might want to go looking."_

_He only nodded.

* * *

_Everything was fine for a few hours. Her and Hammond took a quick nap together after a nice massage. When she woke up, he wasn't there. Something inside her wishes she hadn't gone downstairs.

* * *

_"Hammond? Hammond, darling, where are you?"_

_He wasn't in bed, nor was he in the bathroom. The stairs creaked as she descended them. It was dark, she noticed, figuring that she had been asleep for a while. _

_She walked into the kitchen, taking a match, lighting a candle. She gasped as soon as she saw a red liquid sploshed across the tile floor. It was blood, she could tell, and there was a lot of it. It spread like spilled milk, creeping closer to her feet with every second. After standing there for a moment in shock, she took into account that some of it toward the far end of the kitchen was smeared. As if whoever it came from tried to drag themselves away, or was dragged._

_Slowly, she tip-toed her way around the mess, making her way to the end of the table. There on the floor was a sight she never wanted to see in her life._

_Her son, Treil, cut up and bleeding on the floor. His stomach had several large gashes, as well as his legs. His arms held a yellowish-purplish tinge to them as if they were bruised. His face was badly burned. There were holes all over his body, stab wounds she made of them. His eyes were wide open. There was only pain and fear._

_She bent down next to him, holding his head in her lap. "Triel...Treil. It's mommy Triel. Please, wake up. Say something." She watched him for a minute longer, seeing that he hadn't moved. "Please baby. . __." Her eyes began to leak, the tears rolling down her face and onto what was left of his. He was gone. Her son was gone. She couldn't face it. The fact that her seven year old son was dead was. . __.it was intolerable. Who could do this? Who could kill a child, a _baby _compared to the rest of the world?_

_Luciuna would be distraught. They were twins after all._

_She rose sluggishly, leaving him there on the floor. Her mind had gone and turned to mush. She couldn't think straight. She could only act.

* * *

_The memories flooded through her. She clutched her head tightly to try and rid of them, but they just wouldn't go away.

* * *

_It was quiet outside. The air was still. _Like death, _she once thought. She stood outside of her home, watching for anything. There weren't many people who lived in the country. Really, it was only her and her family, along with several other cottages. Sheilia took a few steps, looking for any sign of her husband or her daugther. There was none. She didn't see anything moving. No shadows...Nothing._

Like death, _she thought again._

_More steps were taken, but she wasn't really keeping check._ It doesn't matter_, she thought to herself. _Treil is dead. _There was still her husband, her daughter__ . At least she wouldn't have to mourn alone._

_Her foot caught on something in the grass. She tripped, falling over whatever the object was. Shaking her head after finally being snapped back to reality, her eyes gazed upon what it was._

_Once again, she wish they hadn't._

_Lying sprawled in the grass was her other child. __Luciuna's eyes were wide open just like Treil's. Her face was burned and scarred. There were similarities, such as those, but they didn't match up to the differences._

_Part of her hand was missing, as was her whole other arm. Someone had taken an ax and chopped her up, and she only knew this because it was still lying in the grass next to her daughter. Her leg lay in an awkward angle as if it had been twisted or broken. Blood covered her whole body, and the ground both her and Sheilia rested on. _

_It was becoming too much. The mother looked up at the sky, letting out a blood-curdling shriek._

_Lights turned on in the houses around her. She rose, running to one of them. As soon as she reached the door someone opened it, responding to the scream. It was Ms. Paterson, an elderly woman._

_The woman saw the blood that surrounded Sheilia's legs and the bottom of her nightgown. Her hands were soaked in the same reddish liquid."Goodness child, what happened to you?" _

_"My children. They're gone! Treil, in my house, in my kitchen. Blood...blood was all over the floor. I left him, not knowing what to do. I. . .I was looking for Hammond and Luciuna. But my daughter. . .my daughter is over there."_

_A whole crowd had gathered around Sheilia to hear her, and shifted their attention to the spot where she pointed. There was an eerie silence, followed by screams and gasps from the women. Stuff like this never happened in their small community. There was the occasional robbery, but it was of petty things, like a bag of potato chips. Not murder. And certainly not like this._

_"I have to find my husband. Hammond, he's got to still be here! He has to know what's happened. Why, Ms. Paterson? Why would anyone want to kill children? My precious babies?"

* * *

_Every single time she picked up a child, she thought of those words. She knew she were to kill them. She drank from them as if they were nothing but a coffee cup. But, even now, she still wondered why. Why _her _children? She did find out the answer, and it was something she, once again, didn't wish she'd known.

* * *

_After moments of silence, there was another scream. Everyone knew it was of something else, not of Luciuna. The woman responsible for it pushed her way through the crowd to Sheilia. Once she was through, she grabbed hold of the weeping mother's hand, taking her back to the watermill. People followed them, wanting to see what the rush was for. They all knew, they all suspected, and once they reached it, they were sure._

_Hammond had been dumped in the river, right under the mill. His body was mutilated, because of the wheel, which was now jammed. Parts of his body floated along, drawn under eventually by the water. His head was gone. For the most part, there was only his torso left._

_Men turned their wives' heads so they wouldn't have to see. But everyone saw. Everyone would be haunted by this tragedy. _

_Sheilia's screech filled the air. "NO!!" She tried to run to Hammond, but the other woman kept her from doing so. Her logic was that she would get caught in the water. It wouldn't be worth it. She continued to weep in the woman's arms. Her whole family, gone in just one night. Who could do this? Why would they do this?_

_Was she next?_

_She scrambled to get away from her neighbor, eyeing her the same as the rest of the community. There was no one she could trust. It sounded insane, but any one of these people could have done it. Luciuna, sprawled in the middle of town, and no one took notice? How could anyone not have heard the screams of a girl?_

_Unless they did, and chose to ignore it._

_Of course, Treil was in their home, and she hadn't heard a thing. She slept like a baby. But, someone tortured him somewhere else, then left him there. Or else she would've have heard _something.

_"My children, my husband. . .they're all gone. I. . .I need to know. Who did this? Who?!"_

_A man approached her. She saw that it was Hayte. "Sheilia, we understand. We know you're upset. But that's doesn't mean you have to accuse everyone else."_

_She growled. "Do you think this was done by natural causes? My boy, cut up and left in my kitchen. My daughter, chopped to pieces almost and left in the town center. My husband. . ." She looked back towards the mill. "He was maimed and dumped at the mill. How do you not expect me to blame this on people? Someone did it. Someone had to! That," she pointed to Hammond, "is _not _natural!"_

_She was angry, and it was growing. Her grief had been replaced by hatred. Hatred towards whoever was responsible, but that began to spread. It spread to everyone else in the village. They weren't trying to help. They weren't trying to find out who did this. They were just standing there, staring at her._

_Suddenly, it clicked._

_People had been after her family for a while. Some hated her husband because he had the most successful business in their community. He was the owner of a materia shop that was joined with a small bar. He came up with the idea as soon as they moved there. People liked it, but it was beginning to take away from other businesses. Some of the folk around there didn't appreciate that._

_One of those people was Hayte, who owned the market._

_Then there was Sheilia herself. She was the only redhead in the town. Some of the men were fixated on her because of that, even if they were married. A lot of women were jealous of her, but it she didn't mean for it to be that way. She just wanted to fit in with everyone else._

_But jealously spread like wildfire in a small town._

_There had been several attempts at someone trying to hurt Sheilia, or burn down Hammond's shop. They were all failures, so people targeted her children._

_This time, they were successful._

_"I can't trust anyone here. All of you, always just so damn jealous! You act as if Hammond tried to take over the business here! He didn't! You act like I tried to take your men from you! But I didn't! What have I ever done to you? I just wanted to fit in. I just wanted. . .to be happy. . ." She collapsed._

_Hayte caught her. "It's okay. We'll find who did this Sheilia. You just might want to rest."_

_"No! I can't! I have to know who did this! I have to!" Screaming didn't do any good. She felt a pressure on her neck, and then everything went black.

* * *

_She remembered waking up and being strapped to a table. _You're crazy, _they told her. _You just wanted for all of us to fail. _They cut her, beat her. It was a lot to take. The final blow was an incision in her stomach. They sheared her right open. And the last thing she recalled feeling was the horrible departure of an organ.

Someone had taken hold of her digestive tissue, and ripped it right out.

Her guess was Hayte.

Her shrieking was the only thing she could recollect hearing during her last few moments of humanity. The next time she opened her eyes, everything was covered in a red tinge. She looked around and saw blood everywhere. It enshrouded the walls and floor. People had been sprawled across the room like rag dolls. Hayte was among them, several limbs missing along with an eye. Finally, she looked up and saw a man. Her was staring down at her, his eyes the same color as what surrounded them. He wasn't human, she could sense it. But that surprised her.

Since when could she sense things?

She asked him for his identity, and he told her that his name was Shenin. He told her that the man Hayte had killed her family. He watched it all. When she questioned him about the reason why he didn't stop him, he told her that it was simple.

_I was waiting on you. _

Those words struck her pretty hard. He watched her suffer until she was near death. Then he bit her and killed everyone in the room.

_I did it for you._

Ever since then, she's stuck by him. Even though it seemed crazy, it was almost as if he was the only one who cared for her.

The people in that town made her hate humanity as a whole. Why should she care about them, if they didn't care about her? If they let her family be slaughtered? She was angry that children were just so fragile, and that made her want them dead.

If her children didn't deserve to live, then no other kid did. That's what she believed.

Finally, the memories subsided. And for the first time in a while, she felt them.

Tears.

At last they came, and that made her cry even more.

She thought about how the girl felt when Sheilia's hand reached inside her abdomen. _I bet she felt the same way I did. _No, she didn't regret what she did. She didn't feel bad about it, but she did think on it.

A few minutes later, she caught the sound of an engine. _That must be my opponent. _She smiled to herself. This was a battle that was worth waiting for.

But instead of thinking of Shenin, she thought of three other people.

_I am a form of death._

_Hammond, Luciuna, Treil . . . this is for you.

* * *

_You know, this chapter came to me as soon as I began to type it. So, it was a bonus.  
Now for the next . . . three.  
Really making me consider changing this story from angst to horror.  
Feel bad for Sheilia. She's been through hell...  
You know, reviews encourage me to write more. If I wanted, I _could _just stop right here...


	11. Trust

Okay, so I really hope people liked what I did with the last chapter. I decided that a story with two different sides who both feel justified is better than having 'goodguy vs. badguy' sort of thing...  
You know what I mean?  
Someone else also told me that...  


* * *

He paced around the area, looking for any sign of his foe. His reason for not riding on Fenrir in this huge region was because it would be easier for him to see if he were walking. Besides, he hadn't really been out the house in a while, taking care of the bar, the kids, and Tifa. His legs needed a nice stretch.

Now that he thought about it, the past couple weeks have been pretty good for him. In fact, they were probably the best in his life. He'd spent more time with his family in the past three months than he had in all of the year before. It startled him, the fact that he wasn't home much. _I really should be . . . _

Especially with her. As he walked about the plains, his mind drifted to the day before in the bathroom. How he felt kissing her, touching her . . . her hips against him. It was amazing the things that built up inside his body as he held her. Hell, as far as he was concerned, Tifa had never been touched before. _Well, up until _that. He sighed, thinking about how she ran out.

_"I'm sorry. I got scared."_

_"Of what?"_

_"I don't know. Of . . . being hurt, I guess."_

He didn't want to hurt her. He just wanted her. He craved her, he needed her.

That day told him that she needed him, too.

His thoughts were distracted by a red patch on the ground. Of course, this being the Cosmo Area, the ground seemed to be red anyway. To him, this spot stood out from the rest of the soil. It was near a giant boulder. Blood was what he thought of it, and as soon as he peaked around the rock, he was right.

There, on the dirt, was what was left Seph Furgeison. She kept him intact for the most part, not using him as a meal, for there was plenty of blood on the ground and on his body. _No, she's waiting for me. He was more like a warning. _But, his throat had been ripped out. That was the tearing sound he'd heard earlier on the phone. As he winced at the thought, he saw the phone in the dirt next to Seph. It had been smashed, the chips and pieces in disarray near the man's hand. Cloud shook his head. _What's going to happen to his daughter now?_

Seeing this man as, not just his customer, but a fellow human being, he dialed a number. It rang twice, then someone answered.

"Cloud."

"Vincent. I'm gonna need for you to do me a favor."

"Well, that depends. How far away from Wutai?"

"Cosmo Area. Not too far is it?"

The gunman sighed. "I guess not. What is it?"

"How's Yuffie?"

Cloud heard chuckling. "She's fine. Walking--limping--about. She's okay though. Just scars now. How are you?"

"Great. Looking for Sheilia now."

"You left again? Did Tifa ever find out?"

Cloud sighed. "Not only did she find out, Vincent, but she almost died trying to protect the kids from that vampire."

"Hmm . . . Lying is a sin Cloud."

"I bet you'd know. Look, I'm gonna need for you to find someone to care for Seph Furgeison's daughter."

Vincent ignored that first comment. "How come?"

"Because she's just become an orphan." He explained the details to the gunman, then hung up, massaging his temple. About five minutes later, there was that voice.

_"Tomorrow Cloud. We shall settle this tomorrow . . ."_

He nodded. "Okay," he said, quietly, more to himself. "We will."

Having already called ahead to make a reservation at the Cosmo Canyon inn, he began to walk over to his bike. It would've been nice to see Nanaki, but he wasn't there. His four-legged friend had decided to take a trip around the planet. He said it was wonderful to visit the same places under better circumstances, instead of rushing around in the event of trying to kill a fiend.

The words of Nanaki . . . always so very poetic.

Suddenly, the wind picked up. His hair flew around, as did the dirt near his feet. He brought his arm up to his face, looking up into the sky. There it was, a helicopter not even a league away. He heard the rotors circulate against the air, making a shearing sound through the atmosphere. Not long after spotting it did he recognize the ShinRa logo on the side. _No way... _

But, as soon as the skids touched the ground, his suspicions were confirmed. The door opened from the cabin, and out rushed Tifa. She looked around, saw Cloud, and ran up to him. She stopped short, staring him in the face. She was pissed, he could tell. Her hand flew across his face, and he let it. He deserved it, after all.

_I can't believe she found a way to come here._

But after that, he was given a tight hug.

"I'm so glad you're alright."

He was hesitant at first, but eventually slipped his arms around her waist. "I haven't fought yet."

"And you won't." She pulled back to look at him again. "Not without me."

"Tifa--"

"No!" She hugged him again. "No, Cloud."

They stayed like this for a breif moment, then watched as the helicopter flew off in the distance. As it went, Cloud saw two small faces, smiling and waving at him. He grinned. "Reno dropped you off?"

"Him and Rude. The kids had to come because they couldn't be left alone. They said they wanted to see you." She sighed. "I took the liberty of trying to explain to them what was going on."

He was bewildered. "Why?"

Tifa glared at him. "Why not? They have a right to know. I had a right to know Cloud!"

He gripped her hand, pulling her towards Fenrir. "We can talk about this in the room." She was silent until they got there.

After checking in, he led her up the stairs to the hotel accommodation. Cloud knew that he was in for a mouthful, and that was something he did not want at the moment. He needed to think about how to defeat Sheilia. He needed to be preparing, not arguing with Tifa. But he had no choice.

Once inside, he locked the door, then faced her. "I can't believe you." The problem with that statement was that he could.

Her face screamed astonishment. She went over to the bed, grabbed a pillow, and held it. For a minute, he thought she was going to chuck it at him. Instead, she buried her head into it, shrieking. When that was done, she yelled, "I can't believe _you! _You promised me that you wouldn't keep anything from me anymore."

"I didn't keep anything from you. I left a note."

"Ugh! You know what I mean. Gosh, I thought you'd have the decency to tell me or something. You bastard! Cloud, do you want for me to have a heart attack? How did you expect for me to stay home? I would've been up all night and day thinking about you. About if you were okay or not."

"Tifa, how do you think I've been? Those four days you were unconscious a few weeks back, I went through hell. I got no sleep, always wondering whether not you had died beside me! And even after you'd woken up, the thought crossed my mind constantly."

She scoffed. "Oh please! That's nothing compared to how I felt. How I felt when Vincent brought you back home, broken and bleeding. I didn't know what to do. He told me about Yuffie, which was his reason why he had to bring you home. Do you honestly think he could've taken care of the both of you?"

He was shocked. "Wait? You knew?"

"Not then. I just found out about Yuffie today. Right before I got here, I talked to Vincent on the phone. I knew he had to have at least heard _something. _I mean, you were in Wutai! It made a lot of sense. And you lied to me. On the phone, you lied to me and the kids! How could you Cloud? Can you even _imagine _how much this hurts? I feel like you don't trust me at all!"

"That's not it dammit! I do trust you. I care too much about you, which is why I didn't say anything. I thought that if I told you over the phone, you would've immediately began to worry. You would've called all the time to check up on me. You would've tried to come to Wutai, to help me. I couldn't have that. I couldn't have that guilt on my conscious, knowing you weren't getting any sleep or worrying or . . . something."

"But you felt guilty anyway for another reason."

"Yes! I did! And you know what? It didn't do me any damn good. Because you still got hurt. You still almost died for my mistake!"

"I would've been fine if you had _said something!!" _

Her scream shook the walls. It made them both stay quiet for a brief period of time. Finally, Cloud broke the silence. "No you wouldn't have. Unless I was there, you wouldn't have been okay."

That made her laugh. "Oh God, I wish you'd quit treating me like a child. I know how to defend myself. I know how to fight. If you had told me something about there being a vampire, then I probably wouldn't have gotten hurt as bad."

"But I did say something. I told you to keep a clove of garlic out."

"That's nothing. I had no idea what that was supposed to mean. I had it out for the first day, but then it began to stink up the place. And it was going bad, so I threw it away." She sighed. "Cloud, you just don't get it, do you? I am _your friend. _I am always by your side, no matter what. Yes, we fight a little, and yes, you annoy the hell out of me, but that's okay. That's what we're supposed to do. We are a _family_. Ever since you moved back in, we were a family, maybe even before then! Families stick together, through everything. You'd get hurt for me, and I would for you."

"But I don't want you to. I don't want to have to go through that again."

She walked up to him, eyes glistening. "You don't have to. If we're together, then we can get through anything and everything. Don't you see? We are nearly _invincible, _but only when we are _together. _You just have to learn to trust me first."

He thought about what she said, and in the end, he knew that it was true. He didn't trust her, not much. Yeah, with his life, but not enough to think that she could care for herself. He knew damn well that she could, but he always felt as if he had to be there for her. When she was eight and fell from the bridge, he had to be there for her, even though it earned him hell in their small community. When she was fifteen and had just been hurt by Sephiroth, he had to be there, to see her in, what they both thought would be, her last few moments. And when he finally saw her again after he left their home, she was lying in the church, hurt, barely able to move. He had to constantly be there, or else she was to get hurt. It was an inevitable pattern that worked in their lives. He needed to be there, especially when she needed him the most.

After all, that _was _what he promised her so long ago.

"Tifa . . ."

"Please Cloud," she whispered, placing a hand on his cheek, "just trust me."

When he finally met her eyes, they were sparkling. As if she were about to cry. He didn't want her to cry. He really didn't. But he knew that what he was about to say would make her do so, and it pained him.

"I . . . I can't. I mean, I trust _you, _but I don't trust those that want to hurt you. I don't trust Sheilia. I don't want her to kill you. Or bite you . . ."

"All that stuff happened at the bar because I was unprepared and I didn't have you to help. But now, I know exactly what I'm going up against. I have you to help. Cloud, don't be like this."

He gently took her hand into his own, slipping it down from his face and letting it go. "I'm sorry Tifa. But if me being this way is what's going to save you, then it's the only way I can be."

The expression on her face nearly killed him.

* * *

I know I know. I said three more chapters, but I really don't know now...  
And I'm only saying that because this chapter was supposed to have what the next chapter will, but, once again, it came to me spontaneously. The idea to separate the two.  
So, who's to say that I won't seperate more chapters to come? I mean, put them in two parts so to speak like this one?  
But, reviews encourage me. They encourage me to keep writing. If don't get a lot, then I become depressed, and then I won't write anymore.  
Besides _that _fact, I need to know what you guys want. More chapters, or less? I mean, do you like separation, or not? Like, would you rather have three more chapters over six? (although, I don't _think _I'll write six more chapters...)  
Knowing what my readers want is good, because then I can try to make you guys happy instead of pissing everyone off!!


	12. To Believe

Hello Hello Hello. Yes, I know. It was mean of me to put out a cliff hanger like that. But, I heard that it was a good kind of cliffie...if there is a such thing...  
Anywho, I hope you all love this chappie's chapterness-ness.

* * *

He had never seen her so sad. Her eyes held this discouraged look about them, the corners of her mouth downcast. She looks more depressed now than she did when they found out at the Golden Saucer that Marlene had been kidnapped, or when Aerith had died. He couldn't understand why. How come his opinion, his mere words, meant so much to her? Maybe it was because they were such good friends. But she was the same way with Barrett and Yuffie, and the things they said didn't mean half as much. _Why am I so special?_

Her eyes left his face to gaze upon the floor. He took her gently by the arms, hoping that she would accept what he said. He knew that it would be hard for her to do so, but it would be easier for him this way. To know that he had the power to stop her from getting hurt anymore. Knowing he could save her from the fate that had damned Sheilia and many others, including himself.

Cloud slipped his arms around her body, softly pulling her into a hug. She didn't react at first, just standing there like she had no clue what to do. It wasn't even two minutes later before she was pounding her fists on his chest.

"Let me go! Just Let go!" She fought her way out of his grip, her eyes still holding firm to the tears. "What do you want from me Cloud?! Just what the _hell _do you want? I've trusted you. All these years, I've believed in you. I've always told myself that you would be okay, whenever you left. Whether it was to fight, or a delivery, I always said that you would come back. Why can't you do the same for me? Why can't you just believe in me, too? Am I not good enough? Has my fighting just not . . . passed your test or something?"

He shook his head. "Tifa, I don't think of any of this as a game. You fight well. You know it. I know it, too."

"Then why? Why don't you believe in me?"

Once again, her attention had shifted to the floor. Her voice was so quiet. He took a step towards her, his feet making a soft _thud _against the wooden floor. "I believe in you. I really do Tifa. I try to trust you as far as a battle goes. But it's hard for me. I've seen you hurt so many times before, I'm afraid that it'll happen again. I'm afraid that the next time you get hurt will be the last straw for you. That you'll die. I don't want that. You're strong, but you're fragile. I shouldn't know this as well as I do. It's just . . ." He sighed. "Tifa, I do trust you, but I don't trust _them. _I don't trust whoever is against me, against us. I know what's out there better than you do. My problem is that I don't want it to come here. I don't want for it to come to you. Seeing you hurt . . . it pains me Tifa. It pains me too much for me to even think about tolerating it again."

Cloud focused on her harder, hearing a sniffle, then seeing something fall from her face to the floor. When she looked up, he noticed how wet her cheeks had become while he spoke. "Don't you think I know that?" By how soft her voice was, he could tell that she didn't want to fight anymore. He didn't either. "I know how much you care. I try to understand the extent of your concern for me, for the kids. But you have to know that I feel the same way. I care about you too, Cloud. I don't want to see you hurt anymore, either. I hate it when you get sad, or when you're frustrated by something. I don't like it, and it ends up bothering me, too. I guess that might be because we're a real family now. Me, you, the kids. Ever since you've moved back in, we have been a real family. How many times do I have to say it Cloud? _As long as we stick together, we will be okay. _I'll have you to protect me, and, believe it or not, I'm here to protect you too."

"How Teef? How can you protect me from . . . ?"

He looked up and she was right in front of him. "From what?" she whispered. "From this?" Her hand laid on his chest, right over his heart. "From you? I can't protect you from what we both have knowledge of. I'm sorry about what's happened to you Cloud. I couldn't prevent it. No one could. But, it's not a total curse. I mean, think about it this way. The mako helps with your fighting. It's made you a bit better by enhancing all your abilities. Now, I know that's not the best thing in the world to have gone through hell to get where you are now but . . ." Her eyes locked onto his. "I don't care. I don't care about all that. I don't think of you any different than I did before it happened. You'll always be my hero, Cloud. We'll always be a family. And Cloud . . ." He looked away from her. She placed a hand on his cheek, making him focus back on her. "Cloud, I'll always love you."

He never thought it was possible for his eyes to become the size of walnuts, nor did he think it were ever possible for her to love him. But, it _was _possible for him to be proven wrong on both accounts with just one sentence. _She loves . . . me? _That wasn't right! She didn't deserve someone like him. Tifa was pure, she was the most angelic person he'd ever met. And he . . . how could he ever be with her? How could he _ever _match up to her? How could he ever make her happy?

. . .

Wait. Hadn't he made her happy by just _being _home?

"Tifa . . ."

She bit her lip, her hand dropping to her side. Her eyes were wide with realization as to what she had just told him before becoming downcast. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

"No." He put a finger under her chin, making her look up at him. Her burgundy orbs were glistening. "I'm . . . glad you did."

And with that, he kissed her.

Cloud knew that she would be taken by surprise. It hadn't even been eight hours, and he was already going against what he said. He was the one who'd come up with it, not her. _Why is he doing this . . . ?_

She pulled away from him. "But I thought . . ."

He shook his head. "Tifa," he murmured, "I couldn't really give a rat's ass right now. I only . . . want . . ." His lips found hers again, and this time, she wrapped her arms around his neck. He cradled her face with his hands before slipping his arms around her waist. They stayed in that one spot of the room for a while, their hands roaming. Tifa found the buckle on his shoulder armor. She undid it, letting it hit the ground with a soft _thump. _He unzipped her vest, pushing it off of her, kissing her deeper. She could do nothing else but moan.

After a minute, he pulled back, taking a moment to breathe. She stared into his cerulean gaze intensely before he broke her stare. His mouth found her neck and he began to suckle on it. She gasped as his hand slid under her shirt, lightly brushing against her chest. Cloud went from her neck to her jaw, traveling to her ear. He planted a tender kiss behind it, gliding his hands under her arms. From there, he lifted the shirt over her head, tossing it in a corner of the room.

He took a moment to look at her. Here she was, Tifa Lockhart standing in front of him, not fully clothed. She had on a seamless lacy black bra with intricate flower designs. They reminded him of black roses.

"Beautiful," he breathed, before lightly pushing her on the bed, kissing her again.

Her fingers fumbled with the zipper on his shirt. Another minute passed, and she had it off, tossing it discretely somewhere in the room. Where, she did not know, nor did it really matter. As long as the clothes were gone . . .

By this time, Cloud had unbuttoned her shorts. His mouth trailed from hers, to her neck. He sucked on it again before traveling even more to her breasts. Here, he kissed a line between them, then laid his lips briefly on the flesh that was not covered by the bra. She shuddered underneath him. From there he gently caressed her stomach with his mouth as he slipped off the shorts. He was just at the top of her pantie line when he'd gotten them off.

He looked at her again. Her panties matched the bra, being black and lacy as well. They also had the same black rose design on them. He smiled lazily, making Tifa shiver once more. Cloud laid his head between her thighs, nipping her on the inside. She moaned. He was so close to her center. _Why won't he just hurry up . . . ?_

"Please . . ."

"Not yet." His blue gaze met her burgundy one for a quick moment before he continued the exploration of her body. Down her thigh he went to her knee, then back up again, only to skip over her center altogether. He went on the the other leg, and as he came back up, planted a light kiss on the top of her panties. Tifa's tremors never stopped. In fact, they only became more violent.

She grabbed him by the sides of his face, pulling him up to her. When his body was directly over hers, she began to unbutton and unzip his pants. He let her, kissing her as she did so. When she finally got them undone, he kicked them off unto the floor.

She had always thought that he was attractive. When they were little, to her, Cloud was the best looking boy in the town. Other girls didn't see it, but Tifa always knew that he would be stunning. Now look at him. Muscular, and so fit. His torso was just so firm, but she found that soothing. It was comfortable to lay against him.

But now, _she _was under _him_. And that was a lot better to her.

"What are you thinking?"

His voice distracted her. He seemed so relaxed, but so tense, all at the same time. She knew because she felt it, too.

Her idle smile made his wanting increase tenfold. "Nothing really. I'm only thinking about how very sexy you are." He raised an eyebrow. "I'm also thinking about how much I want for you to have me."

The way she said it made him pause. She wasn't being seductive about it. In fact, she seemed kind of shy. "Hmm . . ." He bent down, laying his lips on her neck. "You know, I was just thinking the same thing." His hands went under her, making her back arch. He struggled with the bra clasp before she sat up. Reaching behind her, she undid it quickly, letting the piece of underwear fall between them.

Cloud sucked in a breath. He'd seen her on more than one occasion, but her radiance always amazed him. Taking her by the hips, he pulled her onto his lap and placed his mouth on her right breast. Her back arched, her yelp filling the room. Her breathing became more erratic by the second, and this only appeased him more. He nipped her, hearing a pleasant moan from her lips, then moved on to the other. She glanced down at him, wrapping her legs around his waist. She could feel his hardening member under her. Her craving for him multiplied by about a thousand, her senses noting nothing but him and her in this room. They were all that existed at the moment.

Tenderly, Cloud lay her back down on the bed. His hands gripped the sides of her panties, but he didn't pull on them. She waited, not understanding why he had stopped all of a sudden. She could see the look in his eyes, and could tell that he was thinking. _Maybe he just wants to give me a minute. Maybe he just doesn't want to hurt me. _"Cloud?"

Slowly he met her gaze. His eyes were hazy with passion and lust. There was something else there that she couldn't quite place. It didn't matter. She just needed him so bad.

"Please Cloud. Go on. It's okay."

He let out a harsh breath. "If . . ."

"If what?"

He shook his head, gently taking her underwear away. It took him a moment to notice just how wet they were. That made him smile. To see this caused a violent tremor to go throughout Tifa's body. She knew exactly what he was smiling at. She mimicked his action. But in seconds her smile was gone to be replaced by a screech of pure ecstasy. It only took her a moment to see that Cloud's fingers were inside her, in her core. They stayed at a steady beat coming out then being pushed back in. Her hips moved with them, making it possible for him to go deeper. She released a minute later, a creamy liquid covering his fingers.

Tifa looked down at him, only to see something that increased her wanting for him. Cloud had his hand up to his mouth, appetizingly tasting her juices. It was so . . . indescribable. She was the best thing he'd ever had in his entire life. No, he hadn't been to bed with any other woman, but he didn't think that there was another that could match up to her. He'd kissed Aerith once, and Tifa's lips were twice as good to him. But this . . . this was in a league all its own. So sweet, so undefiled. He nearly let go then, but waited. When he glanced at her, she was giving him the most erotic look she could muster.

And he couldn't take it anymore.

His lips found her hot, wet, and wanting. When he tasted her, she screamed. It just couldn't be helped. She had never felt anything like this before. That day in the bathroom had nothing on this. Yesterday was only filled with passion and lust. There was something different about this. Something _very _different. Whether it had to do with the confession of her love, or the unknown aspect in his eyes, she didn't know. But she'd have to find out later. Right now . . . _Right now is the only thing that matters to me. This. Him. Us. _

Before she knew it, he was hovering over her, briefs gone. She didn't know how, or when he had taken them off, but he had. Tifa had been so wrapped up in her feelings, in her affections, that she hadn't really noticed anything. She bit her lip, now seeing just how close they were. How close he was to . . .

"Tifa, what's wrong?"

She felt her eyes water, then shook her head. "Nothing. Please Cloud. I'm . . . I'm ready." She nodded when he gave her a look of caution.

And then, he was inside her.

It was all so fast that Tifa didn't even remember screaming. She was being held there by Cloud in his arms. Soon she took into account her tears. All she heard was him saying over and over, "I'm sorry."

She lightly pushed off of him. "You didn't really hurt me. It's alright." Slowly, she straddled him, slipping her body on top of him. They both moaned when he entered her again. He stared deep into her eyes and saw nothing but longing, hope.

Most importantly, he saw love.

Grabbing her hips, he began to move.

It was almost impossible to explain how he felt. There was this intense energy that seemed to surround them both that strengthened while he moved with her. Their bodies were in unison to a rhythm that only both of them understood. It was a language that only _lovers _knew. He went faster, her hips in beat with his. She gripped his shoulders, her head back, her breathing erratic. Nothing but her groans filled the room, as well as his. It wasn't after another couple minutes, and he released. His cry reverberated around them, and soon after, she let go. There was nothing but her scream.

They kept on for a while, losing track of time in the process. Tifa thought this was the best feeling she had ever come across. There wasn't anything in the world that matched up to this, to him. The whole time she cried, but not because of pain. Her tears were caused by the deep longing she had. This fierce happiness inside her. That was all she felt with him now, was joy. Joy, ecstasy, hope. Her mind wandered to how close her and Cloud had been over the years. The night they spent under the Highwind. How she slept propped against his chest, his arms around her waist. No, they hadn't done anything, but it was the best thing that had ever happened to her. And now this. She never thought this would ever happen to her. She always believed Cloud would forever love Aerith, not her.

Maybe now, she could believe otherwise.

Hours later it seemed, she collapsed against his chest, breathing heavily. Her body could no longer support her small frame. He held her tight to him, his breath in her hair. A few moments later, he lay down with her. She began to cry again. "Please Cloud," she sobbed. "Don't . . . don't go. Don't leave me. Please . . . Don't . . ."

He couldn't respond to that, so he just settled for a tighter hug. A minute later, he could hear nothing but her soft, calm breathing."Tifa?" He got nothing. Taking a hand, he lifted her head so that he could see her face. Her eyes were closed, her cheeks wet, but her mouth was turned into a small smile. He planted a light kiss on her forehead, letting her sleep.

Soon he was far gone himself, but not with pleasant thoughts.

No, the only thing on his mind was how wrong he was in letting her believe that he had managed to let go and trust her fully. He knew that when she woke up, she'd be broken, and would probably _never _forgive him.

But, it was the only way.

* * *

It took me forever to try to get this right, and I still don't like it!  
I guess the only important thing is if you guys do...  
Don't you just love it when I take the liberty to let you all guess and foreshadow?  
AKA...  
Cliffie!!


	13. Bitten

So did ya like my cliffie?

* * *

At first, she felt nothing but warmth.

It surrounded her, engulfed her in a sultry bliss. She enjoyed it for a moment, before it all crashed down on her.

His touch.

His kiss.

The passion she felt when he . . . was inside her.

Slowly, one eye fluttered open before the other did the same. She didn't see anything beside her. That didn't worry her. Slowly, she turned over to her side. Expecting to see blonde and blue, she was disappointed. All that was there was white and red.

Abruptly, she sat up, searching the room for any sign of him. But there was none. His belt was gone, as was his shoulder armor. His clothes were no longer scattered among the floor; they had disappeared as well. She tried to listen for any running water, to see if she was over reacting, to see if he were just he the bathroom, but silence was all that answered her. The bag he'd brought here was open, like he had gone through it or something. But that was it. That was the only evidence that he'd been in this room with her last night.

It took her a minute to realize that she was wrapped up in the quilt from the bed. It felt soft against her skin, almost comforting. She needed that at the moment. She couldn't believe it. She couldn't believe that he would do something like that. _Even after I begged him not to . . ._

Her hand made brute contact with her forehead, causing her to flop back down on the bed. _I can't believe I begged him. I cried and . . . I must've sounded so damn stupid! How could I have . . . ?_

She sat back up, thinking about where he was. _He left without me, because he knew I'd be tired. He knew that I probably wouldn't be able to catch up to him, where ever he may be. He's got another damn thing coming. _

Frantically, she jumped off the bed, scanning the room for her clothes. Already she felt them, welling up inside her eyes and slipping down her face. Her foot caught on the bottom of the quilt, and she toppled. Her knees made contact first, then her hands. She let it out, crying, the tears falling onto the wooden floor. Her fists hit it over and over. _Why? What did I do? Why can't he just . . . ? _She sat there for a few minutes, her body doing nothing but shaking, her voice creating nothing but sobs, her eyes leaking.

Finally she regained her composure. Wiping the remains of the rivers on her cheeks, she grabbed her clothes and made her way to the bathroom. There, she splashed her face several times with cold water, then began to dress. She knew she had to hurry. She had no choice. She was not facing him again, not the way she had to when Vincent had brought him back home. Sure, he was only fighting one vampire this time, but that wasn't the point. Sheilia can move three times as fast as him almost. Cloud knew how to figure out his enemies, but she could change her strategy, and he wouldn't even know it. He needed her there, whether he wanted to admit it or not. Yeah, he didn't want her to be hurt, but Tifa didn't want him that way either.

_I guess we'll just have to bleed together. God I hope I get there in time . . .

* * *

_He wasn't ready to give this up yet.

He stood, slouched, in front of Sheilia, minor cuts in several places on his body. Even though they weren't bad individually, together, they began to impact him. _I'm losing too much blood._

She laughed, her hands covered in some places with red blotches. She lifted one to her mouth, licking a finger. "You know, you're blood is good. Very . . . salty. Yes. That. It tastes wonderful. I can't wait to kill you." She crouched down, her muscles bunching like a coiled spring. He waited, trying to control his breathing. It was too erratic for him, and he didn't like it. He could feel his heart slow down, his lungs not needing as much as air as before. If he moved too much within the next five minutes, or got another cut, he just might collaspe.

It wasn't the cuts and bruises that made him think this way. It was her. Everytime she shruck him he felt as if the life were being sapped out of his body. He became even more tired than he wanted to be by her mere touch.

Then there was the little voice in the back of his head. It wasn't helping very much either, constantly reminding him of how wrong he was to Tifa.

_What the hell were you thinking?! Are you stupid?! You knew you were wrong! How could you?!_

He sighed to the little voice. _Shut up dammit! I know I'm wrong!_

It was silent.

He would have to deal with that later. Right now, he had another problem on his hands.

Or, he could deal with it now.

Right as she pounced, a flame appeared on her feet. Startled, she missed him by a few inches. He jumped to the side, holding out his sword at her, on the alert for anything else, even though he already had an idea who was there. He searched the plain, but saw nothing. Not at first.

Sheilia turned on him. "What was that?! I didn't hear you say anything!" She stomped in the dirt, trying to rid of the fire. It wasn't working very well, so she sat. Taking a handful of dirt, she rubbed it along her leg. Cloud could've taken this as an oppurtunity to strike if it were any other opponent, but he was tired, and it only took her two seconds get rid of the fire. But as soon as that one was gone, another started upon her hair.

Sheilia squeled, desperately grabbing for dirt. He took in a breath, then charged, sword raised. At the last possible moment, she was gone from beneath his swing, fifty yards away. He swore, hating the fact that they could move so fast. He was, however, loving that she couldn't get the flame out. It spread slowly, torturing her in the process. Her screams filled the air for a moment, before she toppled over in the dirt. The flame disappeared after a couple of seconds more.

He watched her body, knowing that something was off. Something should've happened, but he couldn't remember what. His thoughts were distracted by a slap in the back of his head. He hissed, turning around to see Tifa. Her eyes were not on him, but Sheilia. He could tell by the look on her face that she was rather outraged. He turned away from her to look back at the body, sighing.

"Tifa--"

"Why isn't there any smoke?"

Her voice was quiet. She looked up at him for some kind of explanation. He didn't know if it were about this morning, or Sheilia, but it didn't matter.

Now he kenw what was wrong.

When a vampire dies, there's supposed to be black smoke, and then the body disappears. There was none when she fell over onto the ground. It hit him pretty hard.

His head snapped to where Sheilia was . . . or where she used to be. She heard Tifa, and knew that he had to have figured it out.

"Well, you're not as dense as I once thought."

Her voice rang throughout the plain, then he saw a flash of orange. He grabbed Tifa, holding her close to him just as he saw that flash speed toward them. His sword was placed in front to sheild them, more so Tifa, as he took another from the holder on his back. He heard a dull _thud _as Sheilia came in contact with the garlic soaked blade. She shrieked, backing away. Cloud took it from the ground, connected it with the other, letting the brunette go.

"I hate it when you do that! Damn you, and all that garlic! Damn it all!"

She rushed toward them. Tifa whispered under breath, and another flame appeared. Where on the vampire's body Cloud did not know, but he knew it was there. He felt the heat. His counterpart was always good with magic. She didn't need for the target to be still. She learned through movement, which was good. Especially when the enemy could move _this _fast. Sheilia made the mistake of halting for a brief second, where Cloud took the oppurtunity to charge at her. He thrust the blade forward, and expected to hear a tormented screech.

That satisfation was not granted.

She merely jumped over him, running for the barmaid.

"No!"

Tifa was already stanced, and moved right before the vampire got to her. She didn't get away with nothing--a scratch appeared on her abdomin, blood leaking from it. She winced slightly, then ignored it, paying more attention to her assailant. Sheilia stopped again, whirled around, and went for her. Cloud rushed forward, but was too slow. He saw Sheilia make contact with the bar hostess. But Tifa didn't move out of the way this time when Sheilia approached her. He watched Tifa's eyes as they darted back and forth. Finally, she decide her move:

A simple kick.

It got Sheilia right in the stomach.

She doubled over, then jumped back, snarling. Her eyes began to flicker, her canines dripping with saliva. They both knew she was angry, and that the only thing that would stop her was their blood.

The both of them were not ready to let that happen.

All three of them stood, halted in the plain. No one wanted to move; they were all waiting for the other. Finally Cloud started with a false charge, stopping short about three feet. Sheilia took the bait, moving back a few yards, then thrusting herself forward. Cloud placed his blade in front of him once more, but his opponent knew how to get around it this time. She gripped the handle of the sword, her hands folding on Cloud's. He stared up at her. Before he even had time to try and shake her off, her feet had planted and pushed off of the blade. He was sent whizzing back, crashing into Tifa. Holding her by the arms, he turned his body so that he would hit the ground and not her. When the impact was made, he winced. She clutched his shirt tightly, looking up through the clearing smoke.

Instead of seeing a blue sky above her head, she saw nothing but red.

Sheilia reached down and grabbed the barmaid by the hair, yanking her up. Tifa yelped as Cloud jumped up and towards them. He was too slow; Sheilia already had herself and Tifa twenty yards away. His breathing was heavy, his back smarting from the dirt. His shirt had been ripped as a result, sand and debris getting into a couple of the many cuts he had. His eyes portrayed nothing but hatred.

Sheilia took one hand and placed it on the side of Tifa's head, making her tilt it at an angle. The brunette winced, pleading desperately with her eyes as they burned into him. He took a step, readying himself to cast Fire. Hopefully his focus wouldn't put him off target. His vision was beginning to blur.

"Mmm I see."

Sheilia's voice broke through his thoughts.

"So, your mouth has gotten to her skin before I've even had the chance. There are suck marks all over it! No wonder you were so terrible today. Your mind was still so very focused on her! I'm guessing you two had a nice night." Tifa looked at the vampire from the corner of her eye and saw her face flicker with a hidden sadness.

_There! _"Sheilia."

The redhead glared at her. "You've got a lot of nerve to call me by my name, to even speak, when you're at your last few minutes."

"You had a family, didn't you? A husband at least?"

Cloud showed bewilderment all over his face. _What the hell is she doing?_

It didn't take him long to figure it. She was buying time. That, or trying to appeal to Sheilia's better nature . . .

Wait. _What_ better nature?

There was turmoil all over her face. "What?"

"You had a family once. A husband, boyfriend maybe. Did you have kids, too?"

There was confusion in Sheilia's eyes, as well as meloncholy. Tifa saw it, as well as Cloud. _No fucking way . . ._

The hate returned, as well as the bite in her voice. "Yeah! So what?"

Tifa sighed. It was becoming hard to breathe in this position. "What happened? What made you hate humans, children the way you do? Was it really that bad?"

Her wicked laughter filled the air. "Was it that bad? Was it _that bad? _You think you know bad. Have you lost everything in one night? I found my son cut up in my kitchen, my daughter decimated in the town's square. My husband . . ." Her voice trailed off, her eyes showing all the things she felt throughout her too long life. "He was killed! Him, my children, killed because . . . people were jealous! I hate humans, because my whole damn town put into it. None of them cared that they were just children. Why should I? How come my children can't live, but someone else's can? Why are they so fucking fragile in the first place! Constantly having to be protected . . . it makes me sick."

Tifa swallowed, trying not to pay attention to those last few comments. "We understand. We know how it feels to lose everything you love in one day. By one person."

"You don't. You honestly don't. Not the way I did. Besides, you have each other. You have those kids back at your home. You have things you love. I have nothing. You precious _Cloud _took away the last thing I had." She ground her teeth, all the anger returning. Once again, she felt them, just as she did yesterday. The tears.

It only made her angrier.

"You think you know so much about pain! You don't know that half of it! I might not be taking everything away from you, Cloud Strife, but I'm going to take away most of it!"

"Sheilia, please!" Tifa's desperate attempt rang in Cloud's head.

"No!"

But then it happened. The one thing he wanted to not happen, happened. The one thing he dreaded more than anything.

But he could do nothing as he watched Sheilia's teeth sink into Tifa's neck.

* * *

Y'all don't like me, do you?


	14. Recognition

Yeah I know. I'm a meanie-head. So sue me.

* * *

He watched with supreme anger and sadness as Sheilia bit into Tifa's neck. The brunette's eyes were wide open, terrified and full of pain. They bore into his skin, and continued to do so even when they weren't focused on him as she was dropped to the ground.

"Tifa!" he yelled, rushing to her. The vampire jumped back, laughing.

"Approach her at your own risk." She giggled again.

Kneeling down on the dirt next to his friend, he could do nothing to help her. Her body was still, her eyes staring up into the blue canopy above them. Sometimes the venom was too much for a person's body, and they couldn't take it. He thought she was dead, gone away from him forever. Everything about her seemed lifeless, even her eyes. He always remembered them to be the most vibrant part about her, other than her smile. But now, her eyes were as blank and glassy as an empty mirror. Her smile wasn't there; why would it be? She died in pain. It hurt him so bad.

_Oh God. What have I gotten her into? What have I done? _He felt the tears begin to well up, but fought them. It was hard. First Zack, then Aerith, and now . . .

But then, she began convulsing.

Her body twisted and arched, her breathing erratic and heavy. She was already changing because she wasn't as resistant to things as him. He didn't even show the symptoms until yesterday when he had a small transformation at home. The day he was bit, Vincent found and treated him the best he could, soaking all his bandages in holy water before wrapping them around his body. That was all he could do, because the warrior couldn't down anything. Even when he took Cloud home, most of his wounds had reopened. The water hadn't helped him heal, just kept him from changing. But Tifa wasn't as resistant to the change as he was.

Cloud believed that he could still save her. He dug around in his belt for holy water, garlic, _something _that would help him save his friend. But when he looked up, it was too late.

He was staring into the blood red eyes of a vampire. The thing that pained him the most wasn't the fact that it was Tifa, but that he saw no hint of recognition in them.

Tifa's eyes had always been a strange color. There weren't many people who had burgundy eyes, and that's what appealed most to men other than any apparent aspects of her body. But now, they weren't the friendly, soft ruby color he was accustomed to. They were bright red, and evil. Cloud never thought that anything could make Tifa look evil until this day.

But even then, as he stared into the eyes of his near death, she didn't seem demented to him.

"Tifa . . ." he whispered. She snarled, striking him across the face. His whole cheek began to bleed. He saw her lick her lips, crouching to pounce on him.

"No."

He was surprised to hear Sheilia's voice, shocked to see that Tifa listened, and even more confused when he wasn't being pulled apart. _Doesn't she want me dead? Why didn't she attack me before, while I paid attention to Teef? Why didn't she let her attack me just now?_

The wicked laughter of the older demented one rang through the air. "As you can see, your friend is now my friend. She does not remember you, nor does she give a damn about you. She will not listen to you, only me. She remembers nothing about her past life as a human. Only of her life now as one of my kind." Sheilia tapped her foot, thinking. Cloud's heart ached when he saw Tifa recoil back to her, crouched at her side, ready to kill him, almost like someone's loyal dog. "Hmm . . . This didn't happen to me. Shenin and I remembered our human lives. But I think what her problem is the fact that she has mako in her body. The venom from my fangs interacted with it, causing her to forget everything except how to be what she is now. Yes. Shenin told me about that before." Her eyes met with the warrior's. "Let me ask you something. When you first had your symptoms, did you remember her? Did you know of anything other than how to be a vampire?" He didn't answer. "Well, that explains it." She smirked. Tifa looked at Cloud and snapped her jaws, signifying everything Sheilia just said.

_She doesn't recognize me at all. All she wants is my blood. But, what am I supposed to do? I can't fight her, not even like this. She's still my friend. There's got to be something, _anything _that will convince her of that._

His thoughts were distracted by Sheilia's voice.

"Tell me something pet." He grimaced at what she called the brunette. "How much do you want to drink what is flowing through his veins right now?"

Her answer was nothing but a growl.

Sheilia's demonic smile made him shudder involuntarily. "That's a good enough answer for me." Her fingers snapped.

Before Cloud knew it, he was on the ground, pinned underneath Tifa. She snarled, her over sized canines dripping saliva like Sheilia's had earlier. She snapped her teeth, close to his face, but did not bite him. He stared deep into her red eyes, trying desperately to find something that could help him . . . that could help her. As he watched for that something, her eyes flickered from bright red to burgundy. _She's trying to fight it._

"Tifa . . ." She growled again. "Tifa, I know you remember me. I know you do."

She swallowed. "N-no." Her eyes flickered again, her voice clipped. "I don't . . . I don't remember you. I don't know you! All I want . . ." Her focus went to his bleeding cheek. She licked her lips, her eyes flashing once more.

"Do not bite him. You can taste him, but that is it."

Tifa bent down, her tongue going across the side of his face slowly. Soon, her mouth was there, sucking the life from his body.

"Stop it. I said taste. Don't worry; we can both share him later."

Whatever blood was left in her mouth was swallowed. Her head came back up to look down at him, her lips a deep red.

"How does he taste?"

"Delicious."

Red to burgundy.

"Tifa, stop this. It's me. Don't you remember me at all?" She clenched her teeth. "It's me. It's Cloud, Tifa. We grew up next door to each other."

Red to burgundy.

"No. I d-don't know you. I've always been this way."

He shook his head. "No. You were different. You were human." _I've got to buy me some time. If I don't have some kind of advantage over her before Sheilia tells her to kill me, I'll be done for. Tifa'll rip me apart, and have no remorse for it._

Red to burgundy.

"I was n-never human. I've always been this way. I despise your kind. I hate you."

He winced when she applied more pressure to his arms, pinning him tighter to the ground.

"We weren't very good friends, but we knew each other when we were little. Everyone loved you, and hated me. You played with me sometimes, though."

She shook her head, her eyes averting their gaze. "No," she whispered.

"Yes." Her nails were digging into his skin through his clothes. He began to bleed from the piercings. She seemed to not have noticed.

_Just a little longer. If Tifa could get me out of the darkness when we fell into the Lifestream, then I can do the same for her now._

"Our town was destroyed by Sephiroth. My mother was killed, and so was your father."

Red to burgundy. This time they stayed their natural color two seconds longer than usual. _I'm getting to her._

"We were in Avalanche together after you found me. We traveled the world. Me and you, Barrett, Yuffie, Vincent."

Red to burgundy for four seconds longer.

"Cid, Nanaki, and . . . and Aerith."

Ten seconds longer. Her head snapped up to look at him. Her jaws were still dripping, but it didn't matter to Cloud. She was remembering.

"N-no . . ."

"After it all . . ." he winced again, "Barrett let us keep Marlene. Don't you remember her? She thinks of you as her mother. You're the only real mother figure she's had. The only one she can recall."

Sheilia growled a distance away. "Stop it Strife!"

"Then I found Denzel and brought him back to live with us."

Twelve seconds.

"Kill him!"

"I left, and came back after we got rid of Sephiroth again. Rid of the other three."

"I said kill him! Kill him now!"

Tifa did nothing. She sat there, her eyes digging into Cloud. "Kill . . ."

"We became a family. We were always a family."

Fifteen seconds. Confusion showed in her eyes. "Family . . ."

Cloud grimaced. His wounds were beginning to take a bigger toll. "Yes. A family."

"Kill him now!!"

He saw it. Her eyes began to water, but then she shook it away. "N-no! I have to have . . . your blood."

He thought he was winning, but the more Sheilia spoke, the less affect he had on Tifa. Her words were stronger than his because of what they were. If Sheilia keeps talking, than he'll be done for. He sighed. "Then have it."

She did nothing. "What?"

"Have it Tifa. Take it all."

From the sad look in his face, she knew he meant it. "Why? Why won't you fight me? Do something!" She applied more pressure to his arms as if pushing on him. He was beginning to frustrate her.

"Because, I can't hurt you anymore. I don't want to hurt you anymore. I've done enough. You're my friend, no matter what. You're the only real family I've got. We've been to hell and back, and we're still here. I never though this would happen to you, but it has."

"Rip him apart!"

Her face inched even closer to his body, but hesitantly. _She's still fighting. _

"I'm sorry Tifa. I'm sorry for everything I've done to you. I'm sorry for leaving you this morning. It was wrong. I shouldn't have done that to you. But last night . . . I will _never _regret last night. I just should've been better about it."

Twenty-five seconds.

"Bite him!!" That was the shrillest he'd ever heard Sheilia's voice.

Tifa's mouth let out a deep snarl. Her lips came closer to him, to his neck, but he could still see her eyes. _Please Tifa . . . _

"I'll never stop loving you either."

Red to burgundy. It stayed.

"Kill him now!!"

Her face buried into the space between his head and shoulder. Cloud braced himself for her teeth, but felt no pain. Her mouth was right at his pulse point, but she did nothing. He didn't feel the blood being drained from him, or his limbs being ripped from his body. There was nothing but her breath hitting his neck repeatedly. "Family . . ." She was silent for a minute longer. "Cloud . . ." She came up, looking deep into his cerulean gaze. Her eyes were red again, but he saw recognition in them this time. "Love . . . Cloud."

"What are you doing?!" Sheilia sounded frantic.

Tifa got off of Cloud, standing in front of him. He tried to sit up, but everything was sore. "Cloud . . . and I have . . . We have a family." Her attention was to the ground, her hair covering her face. "We have . . . we have love." She sounded strained, as if she were still trying to fight what had damned her.

_She's winning. _

"No! You have nothing! You don't know him!" The demented one's eyes were almost bulging out of their sockets.

Tifa's head snapped up. "You don't know anything about me. You know nothing about what I have."

Sheilia snarled, running towards them for Cloud.

Tifa growled, low in her throat before pouncing.

Cloud watched as his friend's body collided with the other's. He heard some screams, and then Tifa landed firmly onto the other vampire. She stared down at her for a solitary minute, then began ripping her to shreds. Sheilia fought back, scratching and clawing to try and get away from what everyone knew to be her death. Once she even hit Tifa across on the side of her head. The brunette snarled, bending down and clamping hard on Sheilia's shoulder. She moved her head to the side, tearing off part of her arm. The corrupted one's screeching filled the air, shrill and dire. Tifa's hands scratched her face and grabbed her limbs. He heard the menacing sound of hands and arms, legs being ripped off. Never did he think that she would be able to do something like this. But he thought about who was doing it. It was the vampire part of Tifa. She let it go, just not on him.

He let out a big sighing relief for that.

Cloud, with the help of his giant sword, stood, limping over to the scene. Tifa was finishing, he could tell. Bits and pieces as well as whole body parts were sprawled across the ground. Tifa sat upon what remained of Sheilia's body. She was heaving with rage and bitterness. The scary fact was that Sheilia was still alive through it all.

"And for the record," Tifa bit through her teeth, "I'm _no one's _pet."

Her hand came down across the other vampire's neck.

Sheilia's head flew a few yards away. It hit the ground, disappearing in black smoke. When Tifa stood, the rest of her body did the same.

Slowly she turned towards Cloud. The bright red color was fading, being replaced by the natural burgundy hue. The vampire was gone. There was only his best friend left. His love.

He felt it leaving him, too, as if it disappeared with the smoke in the air.

She stared at him, then down at her hands. They were covered in blood, soaked to the bone. Her mouth was the same way. Her eyes widened, her body shook. "Oh God," she whispered. "What . . . what did I do?"

Cloud gazed upon her for a moment. The cut on her stomach had disappeared to be replced by a scar when she changed. It stayed that way now. The only thing that was bleeding was a couple of scratches along her arms and from the side of her head. He stepped to her, holding her in the tightest hug he'd ever brought upon her. "You just did the best damn thing I've ever seen."

She struggled to get out of his grasp, staring up into his eyes. She noticed his bleeding face. "I . . . I did that to you." Her eyes watered. "I'm . . . I'm so sorry." She collapsed.

Cloud caught her, holding her again. "No Teef. I'm sorry. About this, about--"

He was silenced by her lips on his. He tasted the bitter blood on her lips, but ignored it.

"I know. I remember. You said . . . you said you'd always love me. You said you'd never stop loving me. Do you mean it?"

He nodded. "Yes." She smiled, then her eyes fluttered.

The last thing she saw were the tears falling from his face onto hers.

* * *

Hope you guys enjoyed this fic!  
Finally, Cloud did something right...


	15. A Fairy Tale

Mmm yes I know.  
That last chapter wasn't exactly something worth calling closure, was it?  
No, they don't die. I'm not that evil.  


* * *

She peeled her eyes open, feeling nothing but weariness throughout her body. She felt sore and tired, not even wanting to move. There was a faint light in the room, as if it were a lone candle or a small lamp. She lifted a hand to her face, seeing nothing there but her pale skin.

An instant later, it was covered in blood, then back to its previous state. She sucked in a quiet breath, then thought about what had happened.

She recalled being bitten in the plains outside of Cosmo Canyon, and then collasping into Cloud's arms. There wasn't much inbetween that, except his voice. All she remembers is his voice.

_I don't want to hurt you anymore._

It sent an image through her mind of waking up to an empty bed.

_We became a family. We were always a family._

Cloud's form underneath her, flinching.

_I will _never _regret last night._

Her head back, moaning from his touch.

_I'm sorry._

Torn off limbs, scattering blood.

Sheilia's teeth in her skin.

_I'll never stop loving you either._

The desperate look in Cloud's eyes.

She scanned the side of the room she was facing before turning over. There, right in front of her, was what she wanted to see.

Blonde and blue.

He was staring at her, face unreadable, but relaxed all the same. His hand came up, placing a lock of her hair behind her ear. She noticed the half open blinds of the window behind him, the light source she'd took into account earlier.

"Cloud . . ."

He gave her a small smile. "Hey Teef."

She smiled back, sitting up. That was when she noticed that they weren't home. She wasn't expecting them to be. _Now that I think about it, I never really thought of where I'd be when I woke up . . .If I woke up._ There were different items throughout the room than what she was accustomed to. Dreamcatchers, quilts draped from the walls. There was one over her and Cloud's bodies. She was confused. It wasn't the hotel room they'd rented. It seemed like they were still in Cosmo Canyon from what surrounded them.

"Cloud? Where are we?"

He turned over onto his back, hands behind his head. "Nanaki let us stay across from his grandfather's place. When I called to ask him last week if he were here, he told me no. Him and Vincent were talking about . . . something, and the whole thing with Sheilia was brought up. Nanaki rushed back here to help, only to find the both of us in the dirt. He thought we were dead."

She thought about that, remembering him saying _last week_. "How long have we been here?"

He sighed. "Well, I slept for about a day and a half. After that, I couldn't move for a while. Everything hurt like crap." He glanced at her. "But you . . . you've been out for a week."

Her eyes widened. "A . . . a week? Cloud, why didn't you try and--"

He grabbed her, pulling her close. "Do you honestly think that I'd try to interrupt your rest?" he whispered softly in her ear. "You needed it more than I did."

She looked up at him. "But, what about the kids? Where are they? I wouldn't expect Reno and Rude to watch over them for this long without an explanation. Besides, I don't trust them in our house for that long."

He laughed. "Me neither. You might want to restock on alcohol when we get back." Cloud swung his legs over the side of the bed. He didn't stand immediately, and Tifa watched him for a moment. He had several long cuts on his back, some of which were still red as if they were in an early healing stage. They appeared to be very painful, even now, but he showed no sign of that. If anything, he seemed very happy in his Cloud-like manner.

Finally, he stood, and Tifa noticed that he wore nothing but briefs. She blushed a deep red, thinking about that special night a week ago. He went over to the window and stayed there for a minute before looking over at Tifa, smiling. Walking to her, he grabbed both her hands, pulling her up. She didn't know how tired she was until she stood. Almost instantly her legs gave way, but he caught her. Helping her over to the window, she gripped the sill, additional support given from his arms around her waist.

There outside in the town center was Nanaki, running around with two small children. Tifa recognized Marlene's braid and Denzel's unruly hair. The two went around, trying to catch the red feline it seemed. They looked very happy.

As if sensing someone's eyes on him, Denzel looked up. He saw Tifa and Cloud staring down at them, and waved. Calling Marlene and pointing, she saw them too. Immediately, they consulted Nanaki. He obviously gave them permission, because they began to race for the inn.

The next thing she felt was his lips on her shoulder. It was then that she noticed the only thing she wore was a tank top and panties. _I would wonder who dressed me, but . . . _"Yes Cloud?"

"I've been thinking." He kissed her neck, then her cheek. "We should take a vacation. We really need one."

She nodded. "After all that, I think a vacation is well deserved. Take our mind off of things. I just need something to help me not think about what happened . . . what I did."

He held her tighter. "I don't think there was anything wrong with what you did. I think it was--"

He was interrupted by the pitter-patter of small feet down the hall. Right before the door opened, there was a small voice.

"Nanaki! You have four legs! That's not fair."

"All you must do is run faster little ones."

A red head peeked around the doorway before opening it fully. Tifa rushed to get back under the covers, not wanting for the kids to see her that way. Cloud was a bit more sluggish about it. When Marlene came in, she saw Cloud, blushed, then turned around.

"Cloud! You don't have any clothes on!"

He chuckled, scooping her up. She yelped. "Nevermind that. What do you two think about a nice long vacation?"

Denzel's blue eyes sparkled. "Really?" He looked at the older brunette. "Really Tifa? We'll go somewhere?"

She nodded. "We'll go to lots of places. Costa del Sol, Junon. I hear it's doing better there."

Marlene pulled on a blonde spike. "Can we go to where you guys are from?"

It was a simple question. It was the innocent inquiry of a young child. And yet, it was so hard to answer. Tifa glanced down at the covers tangled with her hands. Cloud looked at Nanaki briefly, who nodded. The warrior did the same.

"Yeah Mar. We'll go there. It's just not the same as it used to be. That's all."

She smiled, trying to understand. "Okay!" Cloud put her down, going to the bag and digging around for a pair of sweatpants. When he found them, Tifa looked at him suspiscously. He shrugged.

Denzel shuffled his feet for a minute. "Can we . . ."

Tifa stared at the boy with soft eyes. "Can we what Denzel?"

He gazed at her. "Can we go to . . . go to Midgar? I want to see if I'll know where Sector 7 was."

The barmaid held out a hand. He walked over to her, taking it. "Of course we can. That'll be the first place we visit. That okay?" He nodded, hugging her.

"I'm glad you finally woke up."

She returned the embrace. "Me too Denny."

"Yeah. We thought you were gonna sleep forever! You would only wake up if your prince kissed you, like in Snow White!"

Cloud laughed. "Life isn't a fairy tale Marlene. But I think . . . I think it can start to be close to one."

She gave him her brightest smile.

"Hey Tifa?" Denzel said. "What are all those marks on your neck? Are they bruises?"

A deep red spread across the barmaid's cheeks and nose, the same happening to Cloud's ears.

"Come now children. Let them rest a bit more."

The kids listened. As Nanaki slipped out the door, Cloud stopped him. "Hey," he whispered, "can you keep them occupied for . . ." he glanced back at Tifa, who had her head tilted to the side, "a while? Please?"

The giant cat swayed his head. "You are the leech who's food is not blood, but love instead. It is the only thing that gives you life." He left the room after that.

Cloud closed the door softly, turning the small lock. Tifa giggled. "What are you going to do?"

He shrugged. "Well, I was thinking that we discuss where ever this vacation's gonna be."

"Everywhere!" she exclaimed. Her hands flew over her head into a circle, signifying her request.

He crawled on the bed as she lay down, hovering over her. Kissing her nose softly, he murmured, "I love you."

She wrapped her arms around his neck. "I love you too." Her eyes glimmered as they gazed into his. "Tell me," she said, her voice soft. He raised an eyebrow. "Where did you get those clothes from? Were you going to be gone forever or something?"

"Not forever. But I figured that when I got hurt, I knew I'd need somewhere to stay for a little bit. Brought some clothes."

"And mine?"

"Something told me . . . something said that you'd find a way. I couldn't believe it when you did, but you found a way."

She only nodded. "Do you think our life from here on out will be close to a fairy tale?"

He gave her a lopsided smile. "Any moment I spend with you is heaven Teef. I don't really need a fairly tale. But, if you'd like . . ."

"Wanna know what I'd like?"

"What?"

"I'd like to continue where Snow White and her prince left off after he took her back to the castle." She bit her lip seductively.

"You're still healing."

"I've been asleep for a whole week. Sure I'm a bit weak in the knees, but I've never felt more energized as I do now. Besides, I won't be standing anyway."

He kissed her deeply, nearly losing himself in her taste. Letting up, he stared into her eyes a bit longer before burying his head into her neck, biting her.

Instead of it causing pain, it tickled. She could do nothing but laugh at the irony of it all.

* * *

_That's _the ending. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I loved writing it! Take care now.


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